KARACHI, April 2: Asif Ali Zardari and Altaf Hussain have vowed to initiate a “new journey” for the sake of Pakistan, “pardoning” each other for the bitterness of yesteryear.

“We have forgiven each other and also pardoned our enemies. We will not take our revenge on the people … we will avenge ourselves by changing the system,” said Mr Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, in a speech at the MQM headquarters Nine Zero on Wednesday night.

Altaf Hussain, the chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, in his telephonic address from London said: “Today we have started a new journey. We have forgiven PPP and they have pardoned us. We will work jointly to eliminate the urban-rural divide and for the rights of oppressed people to make Sindh prosperous.”

In a major political development that may lead to the inclusion of MQM in the new coalition government, Mr Zardari visited the MQM headquarters and held talks with its leadership on future relationship between the two parties.

Earlier, hundreds of PPP workers greeted Mr Zardari after a special plane carrying him landed at Terminal 1 of the Karachi Airport. Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad was also present at the airport.

Before going to Nine Zero, Mr Zardari went to the Azizabad graveyard to offer fateha for Mr Hussain’s brother and nephew who were killed in Karachi during the second tenure of the PPP government.

He was accompanied, among others, by Rehman Malik, the prime minister’s adviser on interior, the chief minister-designate Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Pir Mazharul Haq, Nafis Siddiqui and Murad Ali Shah, the son of the late Abdullah Shah, Sindh chief minister in the mid-1990s.

From the graveyard, Mr Zardari headed to Azizabad, where a large number of MQM workers gave him a rousing welcome and showered Mr Zardari and his entourage with rose petals.

The PPP leader also offered condolences to Mr Hussain’s elder sister over the killing of her brother and nephew.

The two sides then got down to brass tacks, exploring the formation of a coalition government in Sindh.

Sources said the parties had formed an eight-member committee, comprising four representatives each from PPP and MQM, to thrash out modalities on coalition formation.

The MQM side comprised Babar Ghauri, Sardar Ahmed, Adil Siddiqui and Waseem Aftab while the PPP side included Qaim Ali Shah, Pir Mazharul Haq, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and N.D Khan.

After the talks, Mr Zardari spoke briefly to the crowd.

“We are taking this step for Pakistan, for Bilawal and for Afza [Mr Hussain’s daughter] so that in future no one can make Bakhtawar and Afza fight,” the PPP co-chairman said.

“I feel it necessary to go to your martyrs so that history testifies that we have asked for forgiveness and also forgiven,” he added.

“Why does Sindh alone get bodies of political figures. They tried to break up Pakistan by assassinating Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and they wanted the same after Liaquat Bagh (Benazir Bhutto’s assassination). We have to save Pakistan and we can do it for our future generation,” he said.

Mr Hussain, in his speech, asked MQM workers and supporters to observe a one-minute silence to honour the memory of Ms Bhutto.

He said the country was at a critical juncture and national reconciliation was the need of the hour. “I requested Mr Zardari to allow us to send an MQM delegation to Naudero to attend the death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and offer fateha at his mausoleum and that of Ms Bhutto. Our delegation will also go to the grave of Ahsan Shah, the slain brother of late Abdullah Shah, for offering fateha.”

He thanked Rehman Malik for his efforts to bringing closer the two estranged parties.

Strict security arrangements were made for the visit. The workers of MQM set about directing traffic on roads leading to the party’s headquarters. The police and Rangers were deployed outside the Nine Zero while MQM was responsible for the security inside the headquarters.

It was Mr Zardari’s second official visit to Azizabad over the last 20 years. He had come to the place in 1988 along with Benazir Bhutto.

On March 21, Mr Zardari phoned Mr Hussain and requested him to withdraw his party’s candidate Dr Sattar in favour of the PPP nominee for the slot of prime minister. The MQM obliged him, extending unconditional support to the PPP’s candidate.