KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) on Thursday agreed to work together and cooperate with each other as part of measures to forge an anti-Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) alliance to bring what they called the province out of “feudal rule”.

The fresh understanding between the two sides emerged when a JUI-F delegation, led by its Sindh chief Allama Rashid Soomro, visited the MQM-P temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad and held detailed talks with its leaders, led by Dr Farooq Sattar.

Although the leaders of both parties didn’t hint at any electoral alliance for the upcoming polls, they agreed on “expulsion of the PPP” from the Sindh governance, accusing it of introducing a “parallel system” of governance based on corruption, nepotism and political discrimination.

Allama Soomro of the JUI-F welcomed the “positive gestures” from the MQM-P and said the recent understanding between the two sides was fast turning into a long-term political partnership. He was, however, critical of the recent moves of the caretaker government which had recently posted the “same officers” who served with the same “old system” of corruption and bribery.

“The people of Sindh from,Kashmore to Karachi have suffered due to corruption and bad governance during the last 15 years,” he told reporters after the meeting.

He said that his party would support “everyone who wants peace and prosperity in the province”.

Dr Sattar said that his party had made a resolve that it would not let the PPP make people of Sindh fool in the name of “Sindh card”.

He said the PPP had proved itself a party of feudal lords and capitalists which, through “ill-gotten” money, had captured the whole electoral, democratic and administrative system of the province.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023