KARACHI: Estranged MQM, PPP may team up after polls
By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque
KARACHI, April 23: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement will not enter into an electoral alliance to contest the next general election but it is ready to be a part of a wider coalition government even with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party.
Background interviews with senior leaders of the MQM suggested that the party had thoroughly reviewed all possible circumstances with regard to the post-election scenario in 2007 and a likely deal between Ms Bhutto and Gen Musharraf to decide its future line of action.
“The MQM as a party fully supports General Pervez Musharraf and, therefore, it chose to be a part of coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) in 2002. We are with Gen Musharraf and continue doing so in the greater interest of Pakistan,” said a party leader asking not to be named.
He said no party other than the MQM supported General Musharraf during the current judicial crisis and when the offices of a private television channel was being attacked, it was Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan who phoned Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani and asked him to go there to condemn the police action.
Similarly, he said, Gen Musharraf has cordial relations with party chief Altaf Hussain and he always consulted him before taking any important decision.
He said a top presidential aide had taken the MQM into confidence about the prospects of a likely ‘deal’ with Benazir Bhutto at a meeting held last week in Islamabad.
“It was not the first time that we were taken into confidence. We know that talks with the PPP have been going on for the last two years and we were always informed about the outcome of the meetings,” he added.
The MQM leaders told Dawn that several times the party was about to quit the ruling coalition but it was General Musharraf who personally intervened to resolve the issues between the MQM and the PML.
“Our relations with President Musharraf are stronger than our ties with the ruling PML,” they maintained.
They ruled out the possibility of the MQM forming an electoral alliance even with the ruling PML, opposition PPP or with any major political party. They said that there would be some seat adjustment but the MQM would not enter into any alliance to contest the next general election.
“We cannot rule out this possibility that the MQM may share next governments in Sindh and at the Centre with the PPP,” the Muttahida source said and added: “However, at this stage it is only a possibility. But one thing is clear that the MQM will go with the PPP only in the presence of General Musharraf as president.”
Recently, deputy convenor of MQM Dr Farooq Sattar admitted ‘informal’ discussions between his party and the PPP leadership for political and electoral cooperation.
However, when the PPP deputy secretary-general, Senator Raza Rabbani, was asked about the possibility of the PPP making a coalition government in Sindh with the MQM in the post-2007 election scenario, he said: “This is too pre-mature as we don’t know how the election will be held… what the results will be, whether the election will free and fair or not”.
Talking to Dawn on Monday, he said: “The PPP has always considered MQM an apolitical entity and in our first tenure (1988-90) we did not need them to form the government, as the PPP had the simple majority but we formed a coalition government.” “We talk to MQM lawmakers in parliament or in plane but no formal discussion is taking place,” he maintained.
