No-trust motion: MQM-P 'fully supports' PM Imran Khan, claims Shah Mahmood Qureshi

• PM Imran Khan has started meeting allies to address their concerns ahead of vote on no-trust motion.
• PM Imran holds brief meeting with MQM-P leadership at party's headquarters in Karachi.
• MQM-P's Aamir Khan says no-trust motion was not discussed.

KARACHI: With the no-confidence motion hanging on PM Imran Khan like a Damocles sword, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi claimed that the PTI’s ally, MQM-P, has expressed its “full support” to the premier.

However, in the post-meeting press conference, MQM-P said that the no-trust motion was not discussed during the “10-minute” meeting.

In a bid to save his government from being toppled by the joint Opposition, PM Imran had arrived in Karachi to meet MQM-P to seek their assurance ahead of voting on the no-trust motion —filed a day earlier in the National Assembly Secretariat.

Upon arrival at the MQM-P's office in Bahadurabad, the members of MQM-P and PTI welcomed the prime minister. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and federal ministers Ali Zaidi, Qureshi, and Asad Umar accompanied PM Imran on the crucial visit.

FM Qureshi told the media after the meeting that PM Imran Khan and the MQM-P leadership discussed the political situation of the country.

“MQM and PTI are allies and will continue to cooperate with each other,” said Qureshi. He added that the premier formulated and finalised his strategy with the MQM-P in his meeting.

“MQM has expressed its full support to PM Imran Khan. It did not keep any demands in front of us,” said the foreign minister.

Qureshi said that the MQM thanked the PM for coming to its headquarters.

“MQM-P did not share its grievances nor make any demands, including the opening of its offices. MQM will be with the government on the no-confidence motion,” said Qureshi.

‘No-trust move not discussed’

While addressing a press conference, MQM-P leader Aamir Khan said that the meeting with the PTI delegation was held in a pleasant atmosphere.

He maintained that they did not lodge any complaint with the prime minister. Contrary to the FM Qureshi’s statement, he insisted, “No-confidence motion was not discussed in the meeting.”

“Neither the prime minister sought assurance, nor we assured,” said the MQM-P leader.

He maintained that they are the ally of the government but options are opened for them.

'MQM-P does not need political offices'

Talking to Geo News, MQM-P convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the PM had come to meet the party and they offered him tea.

On a question of the sealed offices of the party, Siddiqui said that his party does not need political offices. He added that “Nine Zero” was not theirs, so why would they ask for it.

“Leave the no-confidence we do not have faith in the system,” the MQM-P convener told Geo News.

According to sources, PM Imran Khan told the MQM-P that Karachi’s problems can only be resolved by addressing the administrative issues faced by the city.

Officials, privy to the meeting, also shared that the MQM-P leaders conveyed to PM Imran about the “attitude” of the PTI representative in Karachi.

In a related development, the MQM-P sources told Geo News that the party’s offices that were closed after 2016 have been opened.