Amidst the lingering uncertainty surrounding the formation of the future government after the February 8 polls, the fifth round of talks is scheduled between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Following the elections, neither the PPP nor the PML-N secured a simple majority in the National Assembly. Negotiations have been ongoing for the formation of the future government since PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto declared support for PML-N’s candidate, Shehbaz Sharif, for the prime minister’s post.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed candidates emerged as the largest group with over 90 seats in the National Assembly, followed by PML-N and PPP with 79 and 54 seats, respectively. Forging an alliance with other parties is necessary for the latter two to reach the required 169 seats in the 336-member lower house of parliament.
However, negotiations have faced challenges as Bilawal, despite expressing support for PML-N’s candidate, has consistently rejected the possibility of PPP’s inclusion in the PML-N’s government.
In a press conference, Bilawal stated, “PPP won’t be a part of a government like Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) II.”
During a rally in Thatta to celebrate the election victory in Sindh, Bilawal reiterated that the PPP neither seeks the prime minister’s chair nor any ministry, emphasizing Asif Ali Zardari as the party’s candidate for the president’s office.
Ishaq Dar, senior PML-N leader heading the coordination committee, urged leaders from both parties to refrain from making statements before finalizing terms for the future coalition. He emphasized that no comments on the ongoing discussion process should be made, and a formal joint declaration would be issued once the talks conclude.
Despite PPP’s insistence on not joining the future government, PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui claimed that Bilawal’s party would eventually become part of the federal government. Siddiqui suggested that both parties should share the responsibilities of running the government jointly during challenging times.
