Shahbaz Sharif invites Pir Pagara to join government

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Karachi: Shahbaz Sharif, the former and potentially next chief minister of the powerful Pujab province, invited Pir Pagara, an influential spiritual and political figure of southern Sindh province to join hands in the government.

Shahbaz, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif visited Karachi on a second lag of his efforts to solidify his party victory in all the provinces after he visited restive Baluchistan where Pakistan Muslim League was in strong position to form the government.

The meeting was held at Raja House, the residence of Pagara where both of the leaders discussed the formation of governments.

Sources said that Sharif invited Pagara to join the government of Pakistan Muslim League (N) which was inevitably taking over Islamabad potentially for the next five year term.

Both the leaders also discussed as to how they could play their role as a strong opposition in the Sindh province, where Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was going to make government as it secured largest number of seats in the province.

PML N had 11 seats in the province whereas Functional League of Pagar had seven seats and jointly they could become a strong opposition in Sindh. Muttahida Qaumi Movement that follows PPP in terms of seats, is likely to join PPP in the provincial government.

Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf of Imran Khan, which got three seats in Sindh province, is also likely to sit on opposition benches but it was not clear whether they would join the combined opposition or not.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the PPP president in the province said his party was in comfortable position to form provincial government and he expected that MQM would also join them as they did in the previous government.

However, MQM has not come out with any clear position as they were also weighing their options. Currently MQM was passing through a drastic organisation overhauling after breach of discipline by many party workers and political setbacks in the backdrop of May 11 national elections.

By Mohammad Ashraf Correspondent

Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.