KARACHI: A day after meeting a team of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continued to explore the possibility of having seat adjustment with likeminded forces in the upcoming general elections as it held talks with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Thursday.

A JUI-F delegation comprising Syed Hamadullah Shah and Akbar Shah Hashmi visited Muslim League House and met party leaders Nehal Hashmi and Nasiruddin Mahmood.

The two sides discussed a working relationship for the 2024 general elections and agreed to continue their dialogue on finalising modalities of a seat adjustment deal.

Earlier on Wednesday night, former Sindh minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Akhtar Jadoon announced joining the PML-N during a meeting with provincial chief Bashir Memon.

The same day, the PML-N and MQM-P had held first session of talks and agreed to exchange more thoughts and proposals in the next few days in another sitting before reaching any consensus strategy for having seat adjustments in the upcoming general elections.

The MQM-P delegation led by Aminul Haq and comprising Jawed Hanif visited the PML-N headquarters in Karachi called Muslim League House and held detailed discussions over seat adjustments between the two parties.

The PML-N leaders including Nehal Hashmi, Akbar Gujjar and Nasiruddin Mahmood shared the party proposals with the MQM-P leaders and briefed them about their positions in different constituencies of the city.

“Both sides have shared their ideas and proposals and we have agreed to meet again in the next few days after going through each other’s proposals,” said Mr Haq of the MQM-P.

These sittings were in line with directives of the top leadership of the two parties which had agreed over an alliance, he added.

Mr Hashmi of the PML-N said that his party had shared their past performance in the general elections and its recent success in the local government elections in Karachi which suggested that it had regained foothold in its past strongholds in the recent years.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2023