LAHORE - Having severed its three-year rollercoaster ties with the PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement indicated on Tuesday that it was willing to join hands with the PML-N and other opposition parties to create a situation that could force the ruling party to hold fresh elections. Talking to TheNation from London, MQM chief Altaf Hussain singled out the PML-N to highlight its role in the future politics and said: It depends entirely on the attitude of the PML-N whether the elections will be held in 2013 or before. The constitutional five-year term of the present assemblies will be completed in 2013, and an important PPP minister had said a few months ago that the interim government to hold the polls would be set up in December 2012. The PML-N and the MQM had been coalition partners in the past, but there are serious differences between them for the past few years. Leaders of the two parties have been trading allegations, as a result of which the gulf between them continued to widen. The role played by the MQM during the Musharraf era also played embittered relations between the two parties. In the changed situation, the MQM is willing to forget the past and improve ties with the PML-N. But Altaf Hussain says the PML-N leadership will have to change its egoistic attitude. To a question, the MQM chief said talks with the PML-N leadership were possible at any level and the latter would not have to come to London to meet him. There are very strong indications that the MQM will not like to be a coalition partner with the PPP anymore. Similarly, there is no possibility of Governor Ishratul Ebad withdrawing his resignation or the party lawmakers sitting on treasury benches once again. Although President Zardari is in London and will stay there for a few more days, the MQM chief doesnt plan to meet him. He feels that there is no need for holding any meeting with the PPP leadership as the two parties have now parted ways. Mr Altaf Hussain underlined the need for a strong opposition, saying such a step would strengthen the parliament and enable it to play a more effective role in solving peoples problems. He agreed with the suggestion that cooperation between the PML-N and the MQM would help the former improve its standing in Sindh and the latters in Punjab. Asked about his contact with JUI-F Amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mr Altaf said it had been very positive. He said although two different entities, the MQM and the JUI-F had common goals. About his talks with PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, the MQM chief said the former had sought 12 hours time to come up with some response. He said he was waiting for another contact with Shujaat, whose party is now the major source of strength for the PPP. When his attention was drawn to media reports that the PPP was thinking to elevate Dr Zulfikar Mirza as the Sindh chief minister, the MQM chief appeared completely uninterested in the matter. Now that we have quit the coalition, we are least bothered whether they appoint him king, amirul momineen or anything else. \\Dr Mirza, as Sindhs home minister, had alleged that the MQM was involved in extortion and other illegal activities. The accusation had strained relations between the two parties, after which the PPP had to remove Dr Mirza from the post to satisfy the MQM. Mr Altaf Husain defended his partys stand on the Karachi seat of the AJK Legislative Assembly. He said if the MQM had accepted the PPPs point of view, it would have cost the MQM very dearly in the local and general elections. He rejected the AJK elections as a fraud.