F.P. Report
KARACHI/LAHORE: In a decisive push to forge an anti-PPP electoral alliance in its stronghold Sindh, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif wrapped up his two-day Karachi visit on Friday after finalising a deal with the six-party coalition Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and securing MQM-P’s assurances for a long-term political partnership.
Sharif also pledged Centre-funded water and transport projects for Karachi, contingent on his party’s victory in the upcoming general elections. During his multiple interactions with the media and addresses to workers and leaders, Mr Sharif refrained from directly naming individuals or parties. However, he pointed out on several occasions how Karachi’s infrastructure “was ruined” during the past 15 years and “bad governance” had turned the metropolis into “worse than a rural area”.
On the second and final day of his visit, he also shared his plans for Karachi, where he wanted the Centre, along with provincial and local governments, to become actively involved in infrastructure building, establishing water supply schemes and introducing a modern transport system.
He showed sympathy with the Urdu-speaking community, stressing that despite their “great sacrifices” to found Pakistan, they were still deprived of drinking water.
“I don’t want to accuse anyone, but this city wasn’t given the rights it deserves,” the former prime minister told reporters after meeting MQM-P leaders at their party headquarters. “This city became home to millions who migrated to Pakistan after sacrificing their lives and wealth. Their women were humiliated [during Partition and migration] and they paid a huge price for creating this great country,” he said.
“But it’s a shame that the city, which now generates trillions for the national economy, isn’t even getting drinking water. The roads and infrastructures are ruined. The buses plying here don’t even meet the standards of those operating in rural areas,” he added. Sharif promised to turn around the situation with the help of his political allies, and for that, he vowed that the PML-N would come up with a comprehensive strategy, taking his partners MQM-P and others on board.
Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of the MQM-P seconded Mr Sharif’s views and said the two parties were enjoying coordination and harmony that had never been witnessed in the past. Their partnership, he said, would lead to a better future for urban Sindh and other parts of the province. Earlier, the two leaders held brief talks at the MQM-P headquarters and agreed to give their teams more time to finalise a deal on an electoral alliance before taking matters into their hands for a consensual decision.
Later, Mr Sharif drove to the residence of GDA chief and spiritual leader of Hur Jamaat, Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, better known as Pir Pagaro, where the two agreed on the alliance for the Feb 8 polls. Assisted by senior PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq, Mr Sharif finalised the initial sketch of the alliance with Pir Pagaro, and both agreed to settle the terms and details between the two sides at a lower level.
