Daily Times

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced an electoral alliance on Tuesday for the upcoming polls.

Addressing the media in Lahore, MQM-P senior leader Farooq Sattar said that both parties will run a joint campaign for the general elections slated for February 8, 2024. He was flanked by PML-N and MQM-P leaders including Khawaja Saad Rafique and Mustafa Kamal. A joint-committee with three representatives from each party will facilitate the alliance, said Sattar.

A meeting was held between the senior leadship of PML-N including both the Sharif brothers and the visiting MQM-P delegation prior to the press conference.

Sharing the update on X, formerly Twitter, the PML-N stated: “Both the parties have agreed to adopt a joint strategy to bring the nation out of the current crises and to bring Pakistan back on the path of development. The two parties also decided to set up a six-member committee to prepare a comprehensive charter to address the problems of Sindh province, especially its urban areas. The committee will present the final proposals for cooperation between the two parties to the leadership within 10 days.”

The move comes a few days after a conversation was reportedly held between PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, wherein both political bigwigs pledged their commitment to collaborating in order to address the country’s pressing issues and reshape its political future.

Addressing the press conference, Kamal said that the two parties will work towards taking the economy back to the same position as it was in 2013. “Nawaz Sharif has the experience to deal with all sorts of problems,” he said. “Simply put, the state of the country right now is not good,” said Kamal. “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cannot pull the country out of this crisis, Karachi can,” he added. The former Pak Sarzameen Party leader said that no personal talks were held with the PML-N leadership, only people’s concerns were discussed.

Meanwhile, Rafique said that February 8 elections will be contested in a tolerant environment. Referring to Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Rafique said that Bilawal is a free man and cannot be stopped from making statements he wishes too. The MQM-P delegation was invited by PML-N President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Shehbaz had a telephonic contact with MQM-Pakistan Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and invited him for a meeting in Lahore, and the invitation was accepted.