KARACHI: Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shahbaz Sharif visited Karachi on Sunday for a second time in 10 days and held meetings with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Awami National Party to explore options for challenging together the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the upcoming general elections in Sindh.

The younger Sharif — who took over the reins of the PML-N following the apex court’s decision to declare his elder brother ineligible for holding any party office — not only held meetings with the leaders of the two parties, but also addressed rallies in Karachi’s West and South districts in a bid to mobilise party cadres here.

He first reached the residence of Shahi Syed, the provincial president of the ANP, and discussed with him the overall situation in Karachi. An ANP spokesman said the meeting continued for over an hour and mostly revolved around Karachi issues and its peace and security.

Later Mr Sharif, who says he is in Karachi to attend a conference on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor scheduled for Monday, reached the Bahadurabad headquarters of the MQM-P, where he held a meeting with the party leadership. He was accompanied by Senators Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Saleem Zia and other leaders of his party.

Admits justice hasn’t been done to Karachi

Although an MQM-P statement said that the party convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui reminded the younger Sharif of the unfulfilled promises his party had made about a development package for Karachi and Hyderabad and also brought to his notice the ongoing electricity crisis in Karachi, party sources said that a good understanding had been developed between the two sides regarding cooperation in the upcoming general elections.

They said that the MQM-P enjoyed a good, but not winning, vote bank on many national and provincial assembly seats in the interior of Sindh and a seat adjustment, and not an electoral alliance, with the PML-N was very much possible in the general elections.

Later talking to reporters, the Punjab chief minister touched upon the issue of elections and vowed to work together with all stakeholders of the metropolis to “change the face of Karachi” and turn it into “New York of South Asia” if voted to power again.

He held the K-Electric responsible for the ongoing power crisis in the city and pointed out that the utility was not generating 500 megawatts by making operational its two power units.

He said that the issue of payment of dues was an old one, but no one would be allowed to make it a reason for curtailing power supply.

He said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was reaching Karachi on Monday (today) and he had asked him to end loadshedding in Karachi during Ramazan.

Conceding that Karachi was facing gross injustices, he asked where had billions of rupees that were supposed to be spent on Karachi’s development gone.

“There is a dire need for social and economic justice in Karachi. This city wants a change and it has to be given funds,” he added.

In the context of the next general elections, he said he was aware of his political strength in Karachi and knew the fact that all stakeholders had to work together to provide relief to the people of the country’s commercial capital.

“No one can do this alone. We will work together and the day is not far when Karachi will become South Asia’s New York, he said.

Party rallies

The PML-N president asked his workers and supporters not to fall into the trap of the PTI and PPP which he said were two sides of the same coin.

He said that both PTI and PPP got angry when he visited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and criticised their performance. “They get upset when I show them [PTI and PPP] the mirror,” he said.

He also promised his workers and supporters, who had gathered in Baldia Town and Lyari, that his party would provide employment, public transport, clean water and electricity when it would come to power again after the general elections.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2018