NA-242: MQM-P refuses to withdraw its candidate in favour of Shehbaz Sharif

KARACHI: Refuting the media reports of seat adjustment, Convener MQM-Pakistan Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said on Wednesday that his party will not withdraw its candidate in favour of PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif from Karachi’s NA-242 constituency, ARY News reported.

In a statement, Khalid Maqbool said that Mustafa Kamal will be MQM-P’s candidate from NA-242 – the constituency from where PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is also contesting general elections.

“All reports regarding seat adjustment with PML-N on NA-242 seat are baseless,” he clarified.

Siddiqui’s clarification comes a day after it emerged that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N have agreed over seat adjustment on Karachi’s NA-242 seat.

The deadlock between the two parties on NA-242 was resolved after several rounds of dialogues as MQM-Pakistan finally accepted PML-N’s demand and decided to withdraw its candidate Mustafa Kamal in favour of former premier Shehbaz Sharif, it emerged.

Sources said that MQM-P will officially made the announcement after the telephonic contact between heads of two parties –Shehbaz Sharif and Khalid Maqbool Siddique.

The MQM-P has already offered its support to the PML-N in three other NA constituencies of Karachi — two from Malir and one in Lyari.

Read More: Mustafa Kamal withdraws in favour of Shehbaz Sharif from Karachi’s NA-242: Sources

However, the party [MQM-P] has categorically conveyed that it would not show any compromise in NA-240 where the PML-N wants Owais Noorani of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan to contest, the source said.

Similarly, he said, the MQM-P would also not withdraw from NA-243, where the PML-N wanted to field Akhtar Jadoon, a former Sindh minister and PPP leader.

According to sources, two allied parties have also agreed that the PML-N candidates will contest on the National Assembly seats of Mirpur Khas, Nawabshah and Sukkur districts, while the MQM will field its candidates on provincial assembly seats in these districts.

Earlier in the day, the Election Tribunal cleared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to contest polls from NA-242 (Karachi).

The Election Tribunal restored the nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif from NA 242 Karachi after rejecting the objections raised by PTI.