PTI seeks MQM-P support for government formation

As part of its efforts to form a government at the Centre, a delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan's pointman Jahangir Tareen, called on leaders of former nemesis Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) here to seek their support.

Though MQM-P won just six National Assembly seats -- four in Karachi and two in Hyderabad -- in the July 25 elections, it has become an important factor since the PTI is short of numbers to form its government independently.

The meeting took place on Monday night in Bahadrabad and was the first formal meeting between PTI and MQM-P leaders, where matters of government formation and other political issues, including July 25 elections were discussed.

Talks between the two parties went on till 1.10 a.m. and an MQM-P source told Dawn that Tareen sought MQM-P's help in the election of speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the house in the National Assembly and offered the party its share in the upcoming federal Cabinet, Geo News reported.

During the meeting, MQM-P put forward its demands before the PTI leaders to offer the support of its six members in the lower house, sources told Geo.

The MQM-P demands included Karachi Package, constitutional amendment for empowering local bodies, administrative units for the urban Sindh, community police and mass transit in Karachi. The party conditioned its support on the acceptance of its demands.

In a press conference held after the meeting, Tareen said that he had a positive meeting with the MQM leadership.

MQM-P convener Siddiqui said that the coordination committee would discuss the PTI offer on Tuesday. He hoped that the cooperation between the two parties would go a long way and it would strengthen not only democracy but also the country.

--IANS

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