Zardari-led Bilawal House huddle to discuss MQM-P’s reservations today

• Ruling PML-N ramps up efforts to save coalition.
• High-level delegation to hold meetings with PPP, MQM-P.
• Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori asks PPP to fulfil promises.

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah Monday confirmed a meeting will be held today —to be attended by leaders from coalition parties with former president Asif Ali Zardari in the chair— to discuss Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) reservations over the delimitation of constituencies in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Sources told Geo News that Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan, Khalid Magsi, and Asad Mahmood will participate in the huddle. The MQM-P side will be led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

The delegation will also visit MQM-P’s office in Bahadurabad, they added.

The development comes after MQM-P threatened to quit the ruling government in the Centre and kick off protests if "fresh delimitation" of constituencies for local body polls is not conducted in Karachi and Hyderabad ahead to January 15.

While speaking to the media at the Sehwan airport, CM Murad Ali Shah said that MQM-P has its viewpoint regarding constituencies which has been shared with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

“It is up to the ECP to take a decision in this regard. We will act accordingly.”

About Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori's statements, the chief minister said he hasn’t heard their comments.

“Today, there is a meeting chaired by Asif Zardari and all our allies including federal minister Ayaz Sadiq and others will attend.”

“We will consult with former president Zardari about the political situation in the country. Everyone has the right to present their position.”

About the prevailing economic crisis, Murad Ali Shah said there are problems and the government has to make difficult decisions.

MQM-P threatens to quit

MQM-P chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, after the party’s Rabita Committee meeting on Sunday, said that they have decided to adopt a strict stance over the delimitation issue and a non-serious attitude of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh.

The meeting also deliberated on various steps including protests and conveying its grievances to the federal government.

Addressing a press conference following the huddle, the MQM-P convener urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fulfil his promises made with the party.

“We will be compelled to hold the protest if our grievances are not redressed,” he announced.

“In agreement with the PPP, our key point was fair delimitation of constituencies for the LG polls,” Siddiqui said. Terming the prevailing delimitation of the constituencies inappropriate, the MQM-P leader said that pre-poll rigging was evident from it.

In this situation, he said, the party has to decide whether they should go to polls in alliance with the coalition parties or contest independently.

Shehbaz calls Zardari

Following Dr Siddiqui’s presser, PM Shehbaz Sharif called up Asif Ali Zardari and requested him to address the MQM-P’s reservations with regard to the implementation of the agreement.

‘Tried to unite all friends in Karachi’

In a separate statement, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori said that he is trying to unite all the factions of the MQM.

Stressing the need for unity, Tessori said that everyone needs to fix his intentions.

Political parties vanish when disunity emerged in their ranks, he warned.

The Sindh governor also said that he has asked the PPP to fulfil its promises made with the MQM-P. He added that the MQM-P would be free to decide if the PPP did not keep its promises.