Karachi: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener and former federal minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui held a press conference at the MQM's member center, Pakistan House, on Friday, dismissing the recent claims made by JUI-J chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding a no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan.

In a surprising revelation, Fazl accused former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed of orchestrating the downfall of the PTI government led by Imran Khan in 2022.

These allegations were made during an interview with a private TV channel a day after his party rejected the election results as "rigged" and decided to sit on the opposition benches in parliament in "protest mode."

In today’s press conference, Siddiqui questioned the meaning of such statements after the elections and expressed concern about the potential impact on democracy. He clarified that the meeting in question took place on March 26, where MQM was also invited, and he represented the party.

Siddiqui stated that Maulana Fazlur Rehman's statements were completely different from the actual case and situation discussed during the meeting.

Siddiqui revealed details about the meeting, stating that Gen (retd) Bajwa had urged national leadership to withdraw the no-confidence motion and find a middle ground for the political parties. According to Siddiqui, leaders discussed various aspects, including the economy, during the meeting.

Expressing the importance of preserving democracy, Siddiqui warned that if the matter escalates further, it could jeopardise the future of democracy.

He emphasized that nobody has the right to undermine democracy for their election defeat and called for ending the issue through a national reconciliation dialogue.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 17 2024

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