ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Pakistan Peo­ple’s Party (PPP) along with other allies held talks with MQM Pakistan to seek its vote for the election of prime min­ister scheduled for March 3.

The talks continued for two hours where PML-N was rep­resented by Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq while Aleem Khan represented IPP, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani rep­resented BAP, while Yousaf Raza Gillani represented PPP. During the talks, the PML-N and PPP leaders heard the reser­vations of MQM and assured that MQM would be looked after and its demand would be placed before the top political leadership of the respective parties.

Later, talking to the media, Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq said that MQM Pakistan has assured to participate in the voting process for speaker, deputy speaker of the National Assembly and the election of prime minister. Sadiq further said that both the sides have expressed the desire to continue to work together in the parliament in the future.

However, Mr Sadiq said as far as the election of the president and chairman Senate is concerned, PML-N and allies would come back to MQM seeking its support. Mr Saqid said that a major de­mand of MQM Pakistan about an amend­ment in local government law has been accepted for which through a joint ap­proach a strategy would be chalked out. 

Talking to the media, MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Saddique said that de­mocracy is progressing well, however, it’s dividends should reach the common man. He further said that under the Constitution there should be a space for the rights of the people. Siddiqui said that PML-N has agreed our point that democracy should not be derailed. Siddiqui said that MQM would partici­pate for the vote in the National Assem­bly for the speaker, deputy speaker and the prime minister. Meanwhile, PML-N and allies parties held another round of talks with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman. The PML-N and allied parties’ leaders discussed the prevailing politi­cal situation and sought the support of Maulana Fazl ur Rehman for the elec­tion of the speaker, deputy speaker and the prime minister. They also heard the reservations of Fazl. However, till the filing of this report, Maulana did not made any concrete assurance to partic­ipate in the voting for the Speaker, dep­uty speaker and the prime minister.