LAHORE: Taking advantage of the new tension between the Pakistan People's Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan Muslim League-N is trying to reach out to the Karachi-based party for strengthening the opposition bloc.

A meeting of PML-N leaders presided over by its chief Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday decided to stop issuing harsh statements against the MQM, especially about the May 12, 2007, killings in Karachi, as a first reconciliatory step.

After the Muttahida announced on Monday that it had decided to part ways with the PPP and sit on opposition benches in protest against the postponement of election on two Karachi seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly, its leader Mustafa Azizabadi said its doors were open to negotiations with the PML-N.

The Sharifs, however, are wary of the MQM because it had on a couple of occasions retracted its decision of quitting the PPP-led coalition. The N-League has, therefore, decided to move cautiously while trying to contact the MQM.

A PML-N leader who attended the meeting told Dawn that for the time being no direct contact would be made with the MQM. But at the same nothing would be said or done to put it off.

He said leaders of the PML-N Sindh chapter, especially former Sindh governor Mamnoon Husain, had been asked to explore the possibility of forging political ties with the MQM.

Mr Mamnoon, however, said he had not yet received any such directive.

Mr Sharif was quoted as saying at the meeting that fair elections could not be expected as long as President Asif Zardari was at the helm of the ruling party.

He alleged that lists with bogus voters had been used in the AJK elections and asked the party to challenge the lists in the AJK High Court.

About clashes between workers of the PML-N and PPP at polling stations in Lahore during the polling for an AJK Legislative Assembly seat, he said the matter would be investigated.