However, this alliance raises some questions about leadership.
New Delhi:
After the 2024 Pakistani elections, the two major political players are the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. An alliance was announced to jointly govern the country.
Despite gaining the most seats as an independent candidate, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to secure a majority, prompting the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the People’s Party (PPP) to team up to form a government. However, this alliance raises some questions about leadership, allocation of key roles, and the overall viability of the partnership.
Key players and positions
A press conference announcing the alliance on Tuesday was attended by high-profile leaders including Shehbaz Sharif of the Muslim League-N Sharif (PML-N), Asif Ali Zarda of the PPP Asif Ali Zardari and representatives of other smaller parties. Muslim League-N (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif emerged as a potential candidate for prime minister, saying he was willing to bring Imran Khan’s PPP into the government to improve the country’s situation.
The PPP’s decision to withdraw its chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari from the prime ministerial race marks a strategic move in support of the Muslim League-North.according to dawn, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari admitted that his party did not have enough power to lead the government. The descendant of the Bhutto-Zardari family clarified that the PPP refused to form an alliance with PKR and accepted the invitation of the Muslim League-North on the grounds that PKR refused to cooperate.
Image source: AFP
PML-N leader Maryyum Aurangzeb announced that 74-year-old Nawaz Sharif has nominated his 72-year-old brother Sherbaz Sharif as the next prime minister of Pakistan.
“Nawaz Sharif thanked the political parties that provided support to the Pakistan Muslim League (to form the upcoming government) and expressed hope that through these decisions, Pakistan will emerge from the crisis,” she said in a statement.
However, Imran Khan, who is currently in jail on corruption charges, has ruled out cooperation, setting the stage for potential political tensions. The distribution of key positions within the league remains unclear, leaving room for negotiation and speculation.
number
The challenge for the alliance is to form a government with at least 169 seats and a possible two-thirds majority in 224 of Pakistan’s 336-seat National Assembly.
The Election Commission of Pakistan confirmed that the Shehbaz Sharif-led alliance (PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP and BAP) won a total of 152 general seats in the recent elections.according to dawnWith the addition of 60 female seats and 10 minority seats, the coalition is expected to exceed the minimum requirement of 169 seats to form a government.
However, the key hurdle remains reaching 224 seats and a two-thirds majority in the 336-member parliament.
The fate of the reserved seats hinged on the decision of 101 independents, including 92 with PTI support, who ultimately won.
internal motivation
The PML-N announced Shehbaz Sharif as its candidate for prime minister, initially signaling a preference for Nawaz Sharif to return to office. It was later clarified that Nawaz Sharif supported Shehbaz as leader. Additionally, Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz has been named as the alliance candidate for the post of chief minister of Punjab.
PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari suggested holding talks with Imran Khan’s PTI to advocate for inclusivity.
Challenges and unanswered questions
The joint news conference left several questions unanswered, creating uncertainty about the alliance’s stability and ability to form an effective government. The lack of details on the distribution of key roles and the government formation process highlights the need for further negotiations between coalition partners.
Image source: AFP
Allegations of vote-rigging during the election, as well as the shutdown of the country’s mobile network on election day, added to the element of controversy. Imran Khan announced plans to challenge the election results in the Supreme Court.
The coalition’s success in forming the next government depends on effective negotiations, internal cohesion and dealing with the challenges posed by allegations of electoral irregularities.
