KARACHI, Jan 29: The withdrawal of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate from a vacant Karachi national assembly seat in favour of PPP candidate was meant as a gesture of goodwill to persuade the PPP to participate in the multi-party conference (MPC), being convened in London by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. However, despite the unilateral support, differences persist between the PPP and the PML-N over the holding of the MPC and its agenda.

The NA-250 seatKarachi, fell vacant with the death of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MNA Abdus Sattar Afghani, who was elected in 2002 general election. Polling for the by-election would be held on February 10 and PPP, PML-N, MMA, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other parties have fielded their candidates.

Last week a meeting between the central leadership of the PML-N and the PPP in Islamabad decided to field Nafees Siddiqui as a joint candidate of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) after the PML-N agreed to withdraw its candidate Salim Zia from the NA-250 by-poll. The meeting was called to sort out issues that is stopping the PPP from confirm its participation in the proposed MPC.

Well-placed sources in PML-N said the decision to withdraw Salim Zia as candidate from the by-election was taken on the directives of its central leadership despite the fact that the party has a good vote bank in the constituency. “Despite all ideological differences, we withdrew our candidate and announced support for the PPP to show them how sincere we are in efforts to bring genuine democracy in the country,” said the source. The source hoped that the withdrawal decision, which had hurt the sentiments of the PML-N leaders and workers in Sindh, would result in PPP’s confirmation of participation in the MPC.

The PPP, however, has a different view on withdrawal of the PML-N candidate. Sources in the party said that the nomination of the PML-N candidate on the NA-250 by-poll was contrary to its stance that the party would not contest any election under General Pervez Musharraf.

“We pointed out this in one of the many meetings and asked them (PML-N) to remove the condition from the agenda of the proposed MPC that the opposition parties would boycott next general election if held under General Musharraf’s supervision. Instead of removing this condition the PML-N central leaders decided to withdraw their candidate from the Karachi NA seat,” said a PPP leader, asking not to be named.

He said that the PPP did not want to attend any forum, which is against the participation of the opposition parties in the next general elections. However, the party is ready to launch a countrywide movement against the re-election of General Musharraf as president by the same assemblies, he added.

“We have some reservations on the agenda of the proposed MPC. We do not want to give an open field to the ruling coalition in the next general election by boycotting the polls” the PPP leader said adding that the party had already suggested holding of the MPC from the platform of the ARD. The withdrawal of the PML-N candidate had nothing to do with the PPP’s participation in the proposed MPC, the leader added.