DAWN.COM

Today's Paper | November 22, 2024

Updated 01 Aug, 2018 11:01pm

Divisions in PTI Karachi after leadership extends hand to MQM

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)'s offer to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to join it on the treasury benches has caused unrest among the leaders of the party's Karachi chapter, sources told DawnNewsTV on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, a PTI delegation led by Imran Khan’s pointman Jahangir Tareen flew into Karachi from Islamabad and invited former nemesis MQM-P to join the federal government.

The MQM-P won six National Assembly seats — four in Karachi and two in Hyderabad — in the July 25 elections, compared to 24 NA seats in 2013.

However, even with just six seats, the MQM-P has become an important factor in national politics, since the PTI lacks a simple majority in the lower house of parliament and cannot form a government on its own.

According to sources in the party, several newly-elected party leaders, including Faisal Vawda, have opposed the decision to approach MQM and decided to record their protest with the party's supreme leadership if a deal is finalised.

A PTI leader, who is not pleased with these developments, said that like-minded party workers believe that a coalition with the MQM would be very harmful to the party.

The others, the source added, argue that a coalition with the MQM is the need of the hour. The source added that those who are opposing the idea had recused themselves from accompanying a party delegation that visited MQM leaders at the party's Bahadurabad office.

PTI leaders Tareen, Arif Alvi, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Imran Ismail had visited the MQM-P’s temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad area and met its convener, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, on Monday evening.

Read Comments

IHC grants Imran bail in new Toshakhana case as govt rules out release Next Story