Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has expressed willingness to welcome Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif for a meeting with its chief, Altaf Hussain, in London, possibly to discuss formation of 'grand opposition alliance'.
Shahbaz Sharif's visit to London, according to sources, is part of the drive and the mandate given to him by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to establish direct contacts with other political parties, including MQM, to make a combined opposition. Sources said that Shahbaz would leave for London today, where he would also meet MQM chief Altaf Hussan to discuss the expected alliance of the opposition parties.
The MQM, which recently parted ways with the ruling PPP-led collation in entre and Sindh province, is willing to say welcome to any such move. "Of course, we will welcome any such move, and support it for the interest of the country", said MQM spokesman Wasay Jalil, while talking to Business Recorder. However, he made it clear that any decision to become part of the 'grand opposition alliance' would be taken in consultation with the party.
Jalil, however, said that though the news of expected meeting between Altaf Hussain and Shahbaz Sharif was coming on the media, MQM would not keep any thing secret from the media. "Nothing will be kept secret, and the media will be told if there would be any meeting of Altaf Bhai with Mian Sahab or any other political leadership," he said, adding that the MQM chief had also contacted JUI-F chief Fazal-ur-Rehman and PML-Q chief Shujaat Hussain, of which media was kept in the dark.
Sources said that PML-N has intensified its efforts to form a 'grand opposition alliance' to give tough time to the government after separation of the MQM from the ruling alliance. PML-N has already started contact with other opposition parties in and outside the parliament including Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and Balcoh nationalist parties to unite them on a platform to give a tough time to the government. Sources said that any such alliance was expected to emerge after Ramazan.
Referring to the other day's strong statement by JUI-F chief terming PML-N as obstacle in the opposition alliance, sources in PML-N said that the party could understand the concerns of Fazl, adding that if such an alliance was to be created PML-N could comprise on the slot of opposition leader in the Senate. It is pertinent to mention here that PML-N and other opposition parties in the Senate including JI have strongly opposed the election of the JUI-F's Abdul Ghafoor Haideri to the slot of the leader of the opposition, which brought the two parties-PML-N and JUI-F to a heated debate during the previous session of the Senate.
MONITORING DESK adds: The spokesman of the Punjab government has said that no meeting has been scheduled between Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and MQM chief Altaf Hussain during his visit to UK, the private TV channels reported.