PPP and MQM-P meeting’s outcome remains inconclusive

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Mutahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) failed to reach a mutual ground in late night meeting at the Bilawal House in Karachi where they met to discuss and resolve the disagreement regarding the delimitation of constituencies for the local government elections in Sindh.

Both the parties have varied opinions on the delimitation issue as MQM-P finds themselves to be at a disadvantage against the PPP based on the delimitations introductions in 2021 Sindh Local Government  Act.

The MQM- P delegation was led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and they met with PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari. The meeting was also attended by PML-N’s representatives — Rana Sanaullah and Ayaz Sadiq. A team of legal experts were also invited. The MQM-P expressed their concerns regarding the current delimitations and said that their demands were in accordance to the law. The MQM-P leaders demanded that both the PML-N and the PPP should fulfil the agreements they had signed. However it deduced that the changing of delimitations would require at least three to four months, a time period which they don’t have as the local bodies elections are to take place on January 15.

The legal team informed the members present at the meeting that the elections cannot be postponed due to the pressure from the Election Commision Pakistan (ECP) as the elections have already been postponed multiple times since June 2022.

The MQM-P leadership said that they would not come up with a decision on this matter until they have consulted with the other members of their party. They also said that the aim of their party is not do politics but to solve the problems of Sindh,

It is believed that both the parties will meet again on Wednesday after the MQM-P’s general workers meeting.