The MQM-P, a crucial ally of the Pakistani government, boycotts the local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad

15 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Muttahida Qaumi-Pakistan Movement (MQM-P) party, a key partner in the Pakistani government coalition, has boycotted the local elections that are being held this Sunday in Hyderabad and, above all, in Karachi, the country’s financial center.

The formation made its decision public late on Saturday after a series of unsuccessful talks with local authorities about the voting system.

Faced with the refusal of the electoral officials, the MQM-P has stood up after accusing the authorities of “manipulating” the elections, as denounced by the president of the local party commission, Khalid Maqbul, in statements collected by GEO TV .

The MQM-P boycott is an incentive for the country’s former prime minister Imran Jan, the current government’s nemesis, who this past Saturday declared his intention to prepare a vote of confidence against the current head of government, Shebhaz Sharif.

Jan, expelled from power last year precisely after failing in a vote of confidence, has since then dedicated himself to organizing massive protest marches to denounce the alleged conspiracy that threw him out of power, marked by the assassination attempt he was subjected to in November during one of these calls.