KARACHI: Local leaders of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf are unhappy over attempts by the party’s high command to re-establish contacts with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan as they accused their former ally of backstabbing the party’s federal government last year.

The fresh move from the PTI-Karachi came following the statement of party president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in which he claimed to have restored links with the MQM-P in line with its ongoing campaign to engage different political parties to build the momentum for general elections.

Within hours of Mr Elahi’s statement, party lawmakers, city leaders and senior workers held a meeting with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was in the city on Sunday to meet different political leaders, and conveyed him their opinion before “anything becomes final”.

A party leader confirmed that the majority of legislators and leaders from Karachi had expressed their serious reservations over the fresh development.

“We had a meeting with vice chairman Qureshi the other day and it was attended by all legislators elected from Karachi,” PTI MPA and deputy information secretary of Sindh chapter Shahzad Qureshi told Dawn. “I can say that almost everyone showed reservations.”

He said that the local leadership told the former foreign minister that the MQM-P was a part of the PDM government. “Considering Karachi politics and its future, we have conveyed our reservations and opinion in this regard,” he said.

Another PTI leader, on the condition of anonymity, said that most participants of the meeting were not in favour of “any fresh partnership” with the MQM-P.

“The MQM-P is the one which stabbed us when the vote of no confidence was tabled against the elected prime minister. It’s not that easy to ignore or forget that. The majority of PTI Karachi would not accept this,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2023