Khaqan Abbasi says PML-N, MQM-P focused on empowering democracy

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz senior vice president and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that PML-N has political connections with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and both parties are focused to empower democracy in the country, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, while addressing a joint press conference along with MQM Pakistan convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, said the PML-N delegation met MQM-P leaders to empower democracy in the country.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui welcomed the visit of PML-N delegation led by Abbasi and said that Pakistan could get to its destination only through democracy.

Siddiqui added that PML-N had given powers to the provinces during its tenure and it is now very important to shift powers to the nationals.

Abbasi said both parties held discussions over the dangers to the democracy in the country and made concensus on different matters. All stakeholders should define a path to get out of crisis, he added.

He urged for the need for a concensus among all political parties of the country to resolve national issues. The PML-N vice president said Prime Minister Imran Khan should complete his five-year tenure.

He said that political parties should finalise rules of business before a new setup or elections.

While answering a question, Abbasi rejected that PML-N is a part of a political deal. He claimed that MQM-P has also expressed concerns over the governance. PML-N wants to establish a strong local government system across the country which is the pillar of a strong democracy, Abbasi added.

Inside story:

Sources told ARY News that PML-N delegation conveyed the ‘goodwill message of Nawaz Sharif’ to the MQM-P leadership and sought for joint political efforts after forgetting previous disputes and issues.

The visiting delegation said MQM-P is a big political party of Sindh and has a powerful vote bank in Karachi. They sought MQM-P’s support for PML-N to serve the citizens of Sindh including Karachi.

During the meeting, MQM-P said the political party will consult the recommendations tabled by PML-N. They added that MQM-P gets nothing but disappointment despite many promises by the present government.

PML-N delegation in Karachi

Earlier, a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on the advice of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Karachi on a two-day visit.

As per details, the PML-N delegation comprising senior leaders including  Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb and others will meet various political leadership of Sindh during the two-day visit. A delegation of PML-N led by its senior vice president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met MQM-P leadership today.

Sources said Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and members of MQM-P’s Rabita Committee represented their political party during the upcoming meeting. Sources added that both political parties held discussions over the current political situation and local bodies elections.