ISLAMABAD: A political impasse persisted in Pakistan on Friday after two major political parties believed to form the next government, had yet to finalize a power-sharing formula after last week’s indecisive national election.
Three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have held two rounds of consultation, but have not been able to chalk out a clear plan for government formation.
Both parties set up coordination committees after the Feb. 8 election in which the PML-N emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly with 75 seats, while the PPP secured the second spot with 54 seats. Both are rivals of ex-PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Discussions between the PML-N and the PPP have been revolving around appointments to important posts in the new administration and convincing smaller parties to join the coalition in return for positions in the cabinet.
“The [PML-N and PPP] coordination committees decided to conduct its third consultation session today (Friday) to finalize recommendations after consulting with their respective political leadership,” the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
The PPP has backed Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Sharif who too has served as the prime minister, as the candidate for PM’s office, but has not yet committed to joining the government, indicating it would support a minority government from the outside.
But political uncertainty persists in the country as independent candidates, most backed by Khan’s PTI, formed the largest group in parliament by winning 101 seats in the Feb. 8 vote, but cannot form a government on their own, having run as individuals and not a party.
Khan, who has been in jail since August, was barred from running in the election. His PTI remains at loggerheads with the country’s powerful military and accuses it of sidelining the party and its chief. The military denies meddling in politics.
Last Thursday’s polls were marred by a mobile service shutdown and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that the vote was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments. Several political parties and candidates have held protests against the results since Feb. 8 and Khan’s PTI has challenged many of the results in court.
The Pakistani caretaker government says the measures were taken as the run-up to elections was bloodied by attacks on rallies, election offices and candidates. Twenty-eight people were killed in a number of attacks in the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces bordering Afghanistan on the eve of elections and at least 16 people perished in attacks on the polling day itself.
Khan’s party was due to hold a press conference Friday afternoon to present what it said were “exact proofs” of election manipulation, while the Jamaat-e-Islami religious party planned a protest in Islamabad on Friday afternoon.
The PTI has also given a call for nationwide protests on Saturday.
