KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was on Thursday able to win ‘unconditional’ support of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) for government formation in the Centre.
Subsequently, like the MQM-Pakistan, the GDA, too, will now sit on the opposition benches in Sindh
The PTI and the GDA reached an agreement during a meeting between delegations of the two parties at Kingri House in Karachi.
The PTI delegation was led by Jehangir Khan Tareen and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Pir Pagaro led the GDA delegation which also included former National Assembly speaker Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Syed Ghous Ali Shah, and Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.
Speaking to the media, Qureshi said that PTI would join the GDA and MQM-P in the opposition in the provincial assembly of Sindh. He said the joint opposition would take a decision on the future course of action in the province.
He criticised the PPP for protesting against alleged rigging on the one hand, and forming government in a province on the other hand. “They have been in power in Sindh since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and they protested despite receiving more seats than 2008 and 2013 election.”
He said Sindh received royalty worth Rs100 billion for oil and gas extracted from its 10 districts, but there was no accountability for the huge amount of funds. He said that there was no denying that the MQM-P was a political reality, ‘we will work together for the benefit of Karachi, without any compromise on the interests of the nation’.
Dismissing the criticism levelled on PTI chairman Imran Khan for not following up on his word to probe rigging allegations, Qureshi said Khan’s statement about investigations in all constituencies was not just for political point-scoring.
Qureshi thanked the people of Sindh, particularly Karachi for turning out and voting for the PTI in large numbers despite all hardships. He said that 10.68 million people voted for the PTI in the elections, and these voters had high expectations from the party to display good governance and leadership.
Pir Pagaro said that he had extended support to Imran Khan in hope that he would take steps for the country’s development. “PTI delegation did not even need to come here because we had already shown our intent to support the party,” Pagaro said
Published in Daily Times, August 10th 2018.
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