LONDON/DUBAI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif and a party leader Ishaq Dar separately met the deputy convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Dr Farooq Sattar. The meetings took place in Dubai and London.
Shahbaz and Sattar exchanged views on the current political scenario of the country during a meeting in London on Monday. In the luncheon meeting hosted by the British Parliament, Sharif and Dr Sattar exchanged views on the possibility to form a grand opposition alliance in the country. Sources said that the MQM and PML-N have been in contact at all levels since the past week and it is expected that leaders of the two parties will meet in Pakistan during the next 24 hours.
Reports say Dar called on Sattar before flying off to London to see MQM chief Altaf Hussain. While the MQM says a grand alliance is need of the hour, the party is keeping its cards close to chest.
The MQM has not given a definite answer to the PML-N’s calls, sources said. The PML-N has also contacted the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl, the PPP-Sherpao and smaller parties, but none has given a definite yes to the grand alliance.
On its part, the PPP seems to be treading a careful line. Though it already has the PML-Q on its side to forestall the number game in parliament, the ruling party still seems eyeing the MQM’s return to the coalition. Sources said Dar has been assigned the task of holding talks with the MQM while Raja Zafarul Haq and Javed Hashmi have been tasked with contacting the JI. Zafar Iqbal Jhagra and Ahsan Iqbal have been asked to contact the likeminded and the PPP-S. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has not been contacted so far.
JUI-F, meanwhile, refused to become part of the grand opposition alliance to dislodge the PPP government. JUI-F’s central leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri categorically stated on Monday that JUI-F would not be part of any effort to topple the government. staff report/agencies
Shahbaz and Sattar exchanged views on the current political scenario of the country during a meeting in London on Monday. In the luncheon meeting hosted by the British Parliament, Sharif and Dr Sattar exchanged views on the possibility to form a grand opposition alliance in the country. Sources said that the MQM and PML-N have been in contact at all levels since the past week and it is expected that leaders of the two parties will meet in Pakistan during the next 24 hours.
Reports say Dar called on Sattar before flying off to London to see MQM chief Altaf Hussain. While the MQM says a grand alliance is need of the hour, the party is keeping its cards close to chest.
The MQM has not given a definite answer to the PML-N’s calls, sources said. The PML-N has also contacted the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl, the PPP-Sherpao and smaller parties, but none has given a definite yes to the grand alliance.
On its part, the PPP seems to be treading a careful line. Though it already has the PML-Q on its side to forestall the number game in parliament, the ruling party still seems eyeing the MQM’s return to the coalition. Sources said Dar has been assigned the task of holding talks with the MQM while Raja Zafarul Haq and Javed Hashmi have been tasked with contacting the JI. Zafar Iqbal Jhagra and Ahsan Iqbal have been asked to contact the likeminded and the PPP-S. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has not been contacted so far.
JUI-F, meanwhile, refused to become part of the grand opposition alliance to dislodge the PPP government. JUI-F’s central leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri categorically stated on Monday that JUI-F would not be part of any effort to topple the government. staff report/agencies