LAHORE: Following the resolution of the stir surrounding the 2024 general elections and the resulting outcomes, political alliances are now taking shape, raising the prospect of a coalition government in Pakistan. This emerged as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) held a meeting, as revealed on Sunday.
In the aftermath of the February 8 elections, where both parties emerged as the second and third largest in terms of success, discussions were held regarding the possibility of forming an alliance to govern the country. This marked the first official contact between the two sides since the conclusion of the electoral process.
A delegation led by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House in Lahore. A joint statement issued by the parties disclosed that they sought cooperation in forming the government.
In response, the PPP leadership informed the PML-N leaders that the proposal would be deliberated upon in the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting scheduled for Monday (today).
“The meeting addressed the overall national situation and the potential for future political cooperation. PML-N and PPP have reached a preliminary agreement on political collaboration,” the statement read.
Both sides expressed a commitment to “stabilize the country” politically, it further stated.
It’s noteworthy that PML-N and PPP were pivotal members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition of several parties that ousted the Imran Khan-led government in April 2022 and governed for the subsequent 16 months.
The recent negotiations between political parties commenced following the near completion of poll results for almost all National Assembly constituencies.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that Shehbaz also reached out to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the second time within 24 hours.
It was reported that Shehbaz briefed Fazl on the matter, while Fazl expressed concerns regarding the election results. Additionally, Fazl requested time for consultations with his party’s top leadership in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
Pakistan witnessed its largest general elections on February 8, wherein a significant number of people exercised their voting rights to elect representatives for national and provincial assemblies across 855 constituencies.
With 79 seats, PML-N stands as the largest single party in the parliament but lacks a clear majority to form the government independently. It necessitates the support of other political parties or independent candidates.
Meanwhile, independent candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hold a dominant position with 93 NA seats, while Fazl’s party secured only four seats in the legislative, with none under his name.
Earlier reports from a private TV channel suggested that PPP Co-chairman Zardari had expressed willingness to collaborate with the Nawaz Sharif-led party on the condition that Bilawal would be appointed as Prime Minister.
Bilawal stated on Saturday that PPP’s doors were open for dialogue with every political party, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation for political stability.
He asserted that no government could be formed in the Centre, Punjab, or Balochistan without his party’s support.
Bilawal highlighted the necessity of forging a political consensus for the country’s interest in the Central Executive Committee meeting, aiming to bring about positive change for the people.
It’s worth noting that Bilawal, during his vigorous election campaign preceding the polls, opposed any alliance with PML-N, which fielded Nawaz as its candidate for the PM position for the fourth time.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
