KARACHI, Feb 24: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain says his party will not like to join any coalition if the mandate given to it was accepted by way of ‘charity’. He said the mandate won by the MQM should be respected to promote national integrity.

Addressing a general workers’ meeting at the party’s headquarters on Sunday night, he said the MQM had not approached any party for seeking a place in a coalition government. He said if other political parties did not accept the mandate won by the MQM they must avoid confrontation and stop issuing provoking statements against his party.

He said that the MQM wanted to promote democracy and national reconciliation, instead of pursuing policy of confrontation. “The MQM will adopt a positive approach if it decides to sit in opposition,” he said.

Offering peace and harmony, Mr Hussain said that the MQM did not believe in politics of revenge. He urged other parties not to turn differences into conflicts.

Mr Hussain described his telephonic conversation with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as very positive, but expressed surprise over statements made by some PPP leaders against any coalition arrangement with the MQM.

Mr Hussain said his party wanted peace in the country, particularly in Sindh, “MQM does not want confrontation with anyone and for the sake of solidarity and stability of the country it is working to eliminate the urban-rural divide in the province.” He also said that his party wanted to establish positive democratic traditions in the country.

He directed party workers to remain peaceful and to foil what he called conspiracies being hatched to destroy peace and harmony in the city. The MQM leader congratulated the parties which would form governments in provinces and urged them to respect the mandate given by the people to other parties so that they could play a positive role in parliament.