Pakistan’s Major Parties Agree to Form Coalition Government, Excluding Imran Khan’s Party
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s leading political parties, excluding the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced their intention to establish a coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), thereby resolving speculation surrounding the future political landscape.
Although the specific appointment of the Prime Minister was not explicitly disclosed, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif expressed his intention to request his elder brother, the 74-year-old party leader Nawaz Sharif, to assume the Premiership for an unprecedented fourth term.
However, it is anticipated that Shehbaz, aged 72, would likely spearhead a government akin to the one he led following Imran Khan’s removal from power in April 2022.
Shehbaz, along with Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), convened at the residence of Shujaat Hussain of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) following a consultative meeting.
“We have come together today to convey to the nation our acceptance of the divided mandate. I am grateful to Zardari and Bilawal for their decision to have their party vote for the PML-N,” Shehbaz stated, extending gratitude to the other assembled leaders.
To form a government, a party must secure 133 seats out of the 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly. The Election Commission of Pakistan revealed that independent candidates, the majority of whom were supported by the PTI, obtained 101 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with 54 seats, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) with 17 seats.
Other parties acquired 17 seats, while the outcome of one constituency was withheld.
Shehbaz declared that the new government would extricate the financially beleaguered nation from its predicament. “Our battle now lies with the challenges facing the country. The foremost challenge is the economy, and we must stabilize it. Nations progress when their leadership unites to resolve conflicts and propel the nation forward in resolving issues,” he affirmed.
Shehbaz also announced that his niece, Maryam Nawaz, would be the party’s candidate for the position of Chief Minister of Punjab, sparking speculation regarding the provincial government’s future. Earlier, Zardari stated at the same press conference that a coalition government would be established.
“We have resolved to form a coalition government and address the economic crisis plaguing the country,” Zardari remarked, further adding that the new government would endeavor to reconcile with all stakeholders, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Misadventure: Khan
On Tuesday, Khan cautioned his adversaries against the “misadventure” of forming a government with “stolen votes.” Implicitly referencing the Opposition parties’ endeavor to wrest his party’s victory in the February 8 polls, Khan emphasized, “PTI will never compromise.”