MQM-P, PTI together again in Sindh as Haleem Sheikh likely to be named Sindh Opp leader

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced Saturday night that it would lend support to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at the provincial level as well, Geo News reported, following a week-long spat of indirect hostile remarks between the two parties' leaders.

The PTI's candidate for the post of opposition leader of the Sindh Assembly — the primary bone of contention between the two groups in the southern province's leadership — was revised last night and is now likely to be Haleem Adil Sheikh.

In addition, Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, a leader of the MQM-P, added that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would now have to actually work harder, referring to the accountability and development benchmark the opposition alliance would be holding the ruling party to at the provincial level over the next 5 years.

Earlier this week, the MQM-P and the PTI had been unable to restrain their leaders from making adverse comments towards each other despite having joined forces at the centre.

Izhar-ul-Hassan, who has previously held the same post, had tweeted Thursday night his disapproval towards Firdous Shamim Naqvi — the candidate the PTI was expected to nominate.

He wrote: "Our alliance with the PTI is conditional; these conditions come before any individual or party, and include a collaborated effort for the development of Karachi and urban Sindh and the transfer of the municipality representatives' powers."

The MQM-P "would have reservations should Firdous [Shamim] Naqvi's name be put forward for the opposition leader post" in the Sindh Assembly, Izhar-ul-Hassan had added.

Back on Sunday, Naqvi had said the deal with the MQM-P was based on "certain necessities".

The statement, considering the fact that the two parties had signed a deal of reconciliation just a few days back, indicated that the partnership could be heading towards a fracture. However, it was contained when Naeemul Haque explained that Naqvi's remarks did not reflect their policy but were, in fact, his own opinion, and did not benefit the Imran Khan-led PTI in any way.

"The alliance with MQM is a strategy, not a necessity," Haque had added.

Further, at the instruction of Khan, the Prime Minister-in-waiting, Naqvi had to set aside the differences and rescind his statement on how the cooperation with the MQM-P was a bitter pill.