ISLAMABAD: The two factions of the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Friday decided to contest the Senate elections as one political group. “We do not want schism within our party nor do we want our vote bank to be divided. We will try to hold the party united,” said MQM-P PIB faction leader Farooq Sattar while addressing a joint press conference along with leader of the Bahadurabad faction Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. “At least one matter brought unity among us: the nomination of candidates for Senate elections,” he said. “All is well, if ends well. Well begun is half done,” he added. Sattar said five names had been decided with consensus for the Senate elections. “We have decided with consensus to nominate two candidates on general seats: Barrister Farough Naseem and Kamran Tessori. Dr Abdul Qadir Khanzada will be nominated on technocrat seat, Dr Nighat Shakeel on the seats reserved for women and Sanjay Perwani on the seats reserved for minorities,” he said. Tessori’s nomination was the main bone of contention between the two groups. To a question, Sattar said he was not alone in nominating Tessori for the Senate seat but the 35-member Rabita Committee supporting him had nominated Tessori with a three-fourths majority. He added that Barrister Naseem was also nominated by the committee in his group with the same majority. Sattar expressed the hope that MQM-P will win all five seats. Sattar said he was certain that the two camps will reach an agreement about the status of the two coordination committees as well. “Now that we have passed through this phase, I am positive that the issue of Rabita Committee will also be resolved likewise between the two factions,” he said. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the consensus on Senate elections will pave the way for resolution of other issues as well. He said despite differences in their positions, the public could not see any ‘heat’ rising between the two camps. “We are one family and will proceed ahead like a family,” he added. Published in Daily Times, March 3rd 2018.