Bilawal’s PPP rejects PML-N’s formula on formation of govt

Karachi, February 19

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has revealed that he said no to a power-sharing formula in which the PM’s post would be shared between his and former premier Nawaz Sharif’s parties, even as the latter’s party believes that a breakthrough could be achieved in the next round of talks.

The 35-year-old former foreign minister was the prime ministerial face of the PPP. However, in the February 8 elections, his party came third with 54 seats in the National Assembly, behind more than 90 seats won by independents backed by jailed PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly. The PPP and the PML-N, who have formed a post-poll alliance, have failed to reach a consensus on a power-sharing formula despite several meetings between their top leadership.

According to the PML-N leaders, a major breakthrough is expected in the negotiations during a fifth round of the meeting and a formal joint declaration of both parties would be issued once the talks culminate.

PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui has claimed that the Bilawal-led party would ultimately become part of the federal government. PML-N leader Ishaq Dar has called on leaders from both parties to refrain from giving any statements before finalisation of terms for the future coalition.

Addressing a Yaum-i-Tashakur (Thanksgiving Day) rally in Thatta to celebrate the PPP’s election victory in Sindh province, Bilawal earlier said, “I was told by the PML-N that let us be the PM for three years and then you can take the premiership for the remaining two years. I said no to this. If I become the PM, it would be after the people of Pakistan elect me.”

Without taking any names, Bilawal said the party had decided that it would move forward with “those who have asked for its votes” and would not seek any ministries.

Bilawal also said his father Asif Ali Zardari would be the PPP’s candidate for president, insisting that the former president would play his role to defuse political tension.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court has suspended the result of three constituencies (NA-46, NA-47 and NA-4) in the federal capital after the success of the three candidates was challenged. The three losing candidates were backed by Imran’s party. — PTI

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has urged Pakistan’s polarised political parties to work together to uphold solidarity, maintain social stability and properly handle relevant issues as they struggled to form a coalition government following a fractured mandate in the elections.

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