Nawaz Sharif’s party in talks with smaller parties to form coalition government

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Wednesday held talks with smaller parties as part of its efforts to form a coalition government led by party president Shehbaz Sharif at the Centre.

Following a power-sharing deal with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the PML-Nrepresentatives held meetings with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Istekam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) to finalize plans for the coalition government.

Senior leaders, including Kamran Tessori, Mustafa Kamal, and Dr Farooq Sattar, from MQM-P and Ishaq Dar, Ayaz Sadiq, Azam Nazir Tarar and Muhammad Ahmed Khan from PML-N were present at the talks held in Islamabad, according to a statement issued by the PML-N.

The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the PML-N and MQM-P agreed to collaborate within the government framework. The agreement underscores a commitment to foster reconciliation and cooperation, with a focus on enhancing political, democratic, and economic stability across the nation.

Central to their discussions was the imperative of ensuring equitable distribution of resources and powers, laying the groundwork for future deliberations on critical issues such as the protection of urban rights in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, and the restoration of the port city’s economic prominence.

Simultaneously, a meeting between the coordination committees of PML-N and BAP convened, affirming their dedication to addressing the challenges confronting Balochistan and the federation, according to another statement.

Representatives from both parties, including Ishaq Dar, Ayaz Sadiq, Azam Nazir Tarar, and Malik Ahmad Khan from PML-N, alongside Khalid Magsi, Sadiq Sanjrani, and Kauda Babar from BAP, reiterated their commitment to establishing robust democratic governments at federal and provincial levels.

A meeting of the PML-N and IPP leaders was held in Islamabad where IPP president Aleem Khan was present, while Ishaq Dar led the PML-N team.

Khan assured full and unconditional support to the PML-N at the federal and provincial levels, according to a separate statement.

Separately, delegates from the PML-N and JUI-F met for talks regarding government formation in the Balochistan province.

According to sources, JUI-F sought support to form a government but the PML-N refused to oblige by saying that it had already agreed with the PPP to build a coalition government in Balochistan.

However, the PML-N and the JUI-F in a statement underscored the necessity of collaborative efforts towards the prosperity of Balochistan, affirming their cooperation towards this shared goal.

Both MQM-P and BAP have already pledged support for the coalition government of the PML-N with Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister. However, the JUI-F refused to become part of the government at the federal level.