HYDERABAD, July 1: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Hyderabad zone, will hold its first elections-related public meeting on July 8 at the Pucca Qilla ground with MQM sources claiming that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is likely to attend the meeting. The sources, however, said that the meeting had been planned earlier following the successful women’s convention in Karachi but now it would coincide with the election canvassing.

As far as the prime minister’s participation in the meeting is concerned, the source said that an invitation had been extended to Prime Minister by the party leadership.

“He is likely to attend the public meeting”, a source said.

Party sources said that MQM is in the stage of finalising its candidates for seats of UC and Taluka Nazims and their deputies in the wake of a long campaign which the party had launched much earlier.

More than half a dozen people, who have been UC Nazims and Naib Nazims in Latifabad and City talukas, have reportedly approached the party and expressed their willingness to contest elections on MQM ticket, if awarded.

Besides them, the women councillors of defunct district council were also in touch with the MQM which had boycotted the 2001 local bodies’ elections.

However it is not sure whether all these aspirants will get support of MQM-backed Haq Parast Group (HPG) or not. “We have almost finalised the things, completed our paper work and we need just permission from the party leadership to announce the names of HPG-supported candidates”, said a party source.

The Karachi-based party leadership of the party has held interviews of the interested candidates, who had earlier filled their forms, involving different questions with regard to MQM.

The MQM has also been waiting for a decision with regard to Hyderabad, now comprising four talukas, getting status of city district government with eight towns forming part of it.

Reports also suggested that some former UC Nazims also wanted to approach MQM but since they were not sure to be nominated as candidate for elections, they were reluctant to expose themselves because in that way they would find it uncomfortable to contest polls as independent candidates or receive the support of other parties.