ISLAMABAD: After the tumult of the 2024 general elections subsided and the dust settled on the outcomes, the landscape of political alliances began to take shape in Pakistan. The possibility of a coalition government looms as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) convened for a significant meeting on Sunday (today).
Emerging as the second and third largest parties in terms of success during the February 8 elections, the PML-N and PPP deliberated on the potential formation of an alliance to govern the country. This marked the first official contact between the two parties since the conclusion of the electoral process.
A delegation led by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House in Lahore. They sought PPP’s cooperation in forming the government, as per a joint statement issued by both parties.
In response, the PPP leadership informed the PML-N representatives that the proposal would be discussed in the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting scheduled for Monday.
The discussions centered on the current national situation and the potential for future political cooperation, with both parties expressing agreement in principle on this front. They emphasized their commitment to “saving the country” from political instability.
Notably, the PML-N and PPP were integral members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition that ousted the Imran Khan-led government in April 2022 and governed the country for the subsequent 16 months.
Following the near-finalization of poll results for the National Assembly constituencies, inter-party negotiations intensified. Shehbaz also reached out to Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) for the second time within 24 hours. Sources revealed that Shehbaz briefed Fazl on the matter, though Fazl expressed reservations regarding the election results. Fazl requested time for consultations with his party’s top leadership during a meeting on Wednesday.
The February 8 elections marked the largest in Pakistan’s history, with significant voter turnout across the country to elect representatives for national and provincial assemblies across 855 constituencies.
Despite being the largest single party in parliament with 79 seats, the PML-N cannot form a government independently due to a lack of a clear majority. Meanwhile, independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hold a dominant position with 93 seats, while Fazl’s party secured only four seats in the legislative body.
Earlier reports suggested that PPP Co-chairman Zardari expressed willingness to collaborate with the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N on the condition of Bilawal becoming the Prime Minister.
Bilawal emphasized the importance of dialogue and reconciliation for political stability, stating that no government could be formed in key provinces without the support of his party. He stressed the necessity of forging a political consensus within the PPP’s Central Executive Committee for the country’s best interests.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
