Bilawal invites MQM-P to join PDM as battle for Senate heats up

KARACHI: PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday invited the MQM-P to join the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and take part in the struggle to oust the PTI-led government.

This was said by the PPP leader as he held a joint press conference with JUI-F chief and the PDM head, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Extending an olive branch to the opposition party in Sindh, Bilawal urged the MQM-P to join the 11-party alliance in a bid to “raise the voice for the rights of the people of Karachi”.

The Bhutto scion, during his press conference, said that the PDM wished to challenge the government and send a clear message across that not even its own party and parliamentarians were with it.

“We will be successful in our mission,” he stressed. “We have prepared for both the open ballot and secret ballot method” in the Senate elections, he added, observing that the democratic lawmakers would support the PDM.

Bilawal vowed to go to the PTI government’s home base and challenge it there. “We will also give a tough time to the government in KP,” he added.

“The formula that has been worked out for Pakhtunkhwa will unite and challenge the government. On the one hand, there’s [PPP candidate and former premier] Yusuf Raza Gillani and, on the other, is PTIMF candidate”, he explained, referring to Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

“The PML-N seats won from Punjab will benefit us in electing the Senate chairperson and these votes will be very important,” he added.

Bilawal said that the MQM-P was the PTI’s ally but the federal government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan had orphaned the city of Karachi.