KARACHI, Aug 18: After an acrimonious election campaign in the first phase of the local body elections the Muttahida Qaumi Movement extended an olive branch to Niamatullah Khan, the former Nazim of the City District Government, on Thursday.

Deputy convenor of the MQM, Dr Farooq Sattar, made a surprise visit to Idara Noor-i-Haq, the Jamat-i-Islami’s city headquarters, after a television programme and expressed his party’s desire to develop a new culture based on mutual understanding for the betterment of the people of Karachi.

Dr Farooq Sattar told the former CDGK chief that his party always believed in the policy of live and let live but due to some constraints he could not visit Idara earlier.

Niamatuallah Khan, who had participated in the same TV programme, said that the Idara Noor-i-Haq was not a no-go area and reminded the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader of the work his team had done for Karachi and asked him to appreciate the concerns of other political parties and must accept the reality of Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan People’s Party.

Niamatuallah Khan emphasised that those who had been indulging in extoration and terrorism must admit their guilt.

Political analysts were attaching great importance to the gesture by the two sides.

Meanwhile Pakistan People’s Party MNA Fauzia Wahab also visited Idara Noor-i-Haq.