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Monday, January 24, 2011

PML-Q, MQM agree to form electoral alliance

* MQM wants to benefit from PML-Q’s vote bank in Punjab

* PML-Q thinks it can battle with PML-N or PPP with MQM’s support

By Muhammad Akram

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have reached an understanding to convert their strategic relationships for Sindh and Punjab into an election alliance, while a formal announcement in this regard would be made at an appropriate time.

Sources in both the parties were of the view that the understanding of evolving a strategic relationship has been a result of months’ long deliberations at the highest level. PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain recently visited Karachi and met the MQM leadership. They said the decision to convert the strategic relationship into an election alliance has deliberately been withheld on two counts. Firstly, the leadership of the two parties needed to have a complete picture of the constituencies in Punjab and Sindh where they can benefit from each other’s support base. Secondly, the time was not ripe to announce this decision as this could trigger an atmosphere of snap elections, which would not be suitable to the existing political and economic situation of the country.

The sources said the strategic relationship has been carefully designed to enhance the electoral potential of the two parties and to dent the support base of their common political foe, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The sources in the PML-Q said at a time when the PPP and the PML-N were marching forward for a greater political understanding keeping in view the positive outcome of deliberations on the latter’s 10-point agenda, the party has an obvious choice of entering into strong bond with the enemy of the enemy.

The sources in the MQM, on the other hand, termed it a great achievement for the party by entering into an alliance with a Punjab based political party which shared its view about political landscape in the province. They said the MQM, while banking on the support of the PML-Q, would be in a better position to function in the Punjab. It has launched many a plans in the past to organise the party without success and faced a stiff opposition from the ruling PML-N in the recent past despite the fact it was better placed as compared to the past and had in place a reasonably functional organisational structure besides winning over certain influential quarters in the media in Punjab too like in Karachi.

The Karachi-based MQM had been struggling for decades to reach out to the people of Punjab despite being a party of working classes, but failed to make an impact largely due to increase in violence in its own controlled areas. The party considered that if it managed to operate in Punjab like other parties it would be in a position to consolidate its vote bank from the remotest south to the central parts of Punjab. This consolidation of vote bank would help its allies to benefit from and in return let the party take deep roots against an existing situation where its supporters were singled out on the basis of supporting a party allegedly held responsible for a poor law and order situation in Karachi.

The PML-Q, on the other hand, sees a huge benefit to its cause in the politics of the province with the MQM support, though meager. It can battle against the PML-N or the PPP or both combined.

Both the MQM and the PML-Q had been partner in the previous Pervez Musharraf regime and enjoyed all powers in their respective political domains. The MQM has a track record of solo flight in politics and elections since its inception two and half decades ago, while the PML-Q in its nine years of existence has been looking for political relation with other parties, including the ruling PPP. Both the parties feel comfortable with the PPP in the government at the national and province level and see in the PML-N a danger beyond proportions.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

 

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