What did Governor Tessori say about election results in leaked audio?

Following Mustafa Kamal’s audio leak, another recording emerged on Wednesday, this time involving Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori.

In the leaked audio, likely from a party meeting, Tessori can be heard blaming the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the decrease in the MQM-P’s vote bank.

Tessori mentions that when his party was supporting the PTI in the government, the PPP and PML-N were in opposition and facing legal troubles. He acknowledges that their alliance with the PTI led to dissatisfaction among their voters. According to Tessori, the MQM-P secured seven seats in the 2018 election, which he considers their mandate.

He also notes that when the MQM-P won 17 seats in the National Assembly, other parties started questioning the legitimacy of their mandate. Tessori argues that if they have a legitimate mandate, so do other parties.

Expressing concern, Tessori mentions that being part of the government poses a risk, especially when facing the displeasure of the people. The leaked audio sheds light on internal discussions and perspectives within the MQM-P regarding its political alliances and electoral performance.

A day earlier, Mustafa Kamal of the MQM-P had confirmed the authenticity of an audio leak related to him, emphasizing that the rivals’ claims about the authenticity of their mandate were not new. In a brief video statement, Kamal acknowledged the viral audio attributed to him.