Daily Times

Suggestions from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership to swallow a bitter pill and go to the polls has apparently been accepted by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) with the central leadership suggesting they may participate in the polls. Though some members remain adamant that the party should not participate in the polls, a private TV channel reported. An emergency huddle of the party’s leadership was called on Saturday evening at its temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad. The MQM-P leadership had gathered in to discuss the evolving situation after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had turned down a request from the Sindh government to postpone the polls given the security situation and the unavailability of the army to help secure it.

But with the interior ministry approving the deployment of the Frontier Constabulary and the military approving deployment of the paramilitary Rangers at limited polling stations, there were few excuses left to postpone the polls. Ultimately, even the Sindh government capitulated, with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announcing that elections will go ahead on January 15 and urged coalition partner MQM-P to participate it. Subsequently, party sources said that MQM-P’s central leadership had proposed to participate in the polls rather than boycott it, as previously announced. However, some members did not agree and were adamant that the polls should be boycotted unless fresh delimitations are made.