Ending weeks of stalemate after the elections on 8th February elections, Pakistan will finally get a government. The Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP, in a late-night press conference, announced forming a coalition government with PML-N in the country. As per the agreed deal between the two parties, Shehbaz Sharif will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan while Asif Ali Zardari, father of Bilawal Bhutto, will run for President of the Islamic nation.
The tenure of the current President had already expired in September last year and he is serving an extended period till the election of his successor, leading to the comfortable election of Asif Zardari as the next President.
This marks the return of Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister of Pakistan, who became the PM in April 2022 after Imran Khan govt lost the non-confidence motion. In August 2023, the Shehbaz Sharif government was dissolved as its term came to an end, and the elections were held under a caretaker government.
As part of the negotiations, PML-N secured the post of National Assembly speaker for itself while the deputy speaker post went to PPP. The reverse has been agreed for the Senate posts as PPP will have their representative as the Senate Chairman while the Deputy Chairman will be from PML-N. On the provincial level, PPP will form the government in Balochistan with the support of its newfound ally PML-N.
According to the Dawn report, the PPP would not join the Federal cabinet led by Shehbaz Sharif but rather would support it from outside to avoid the anti-incumbency of a government that faces unprecedented challenges on all fronts. However, it will enjoy the plump posts in exchange for its support and will have its governors as well in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
In brief, in this deal, PPP will get the Presidency, Senate chairman, Punjab governor, KP governor, Balochistan chief minister, and Deputy speaker National Assembly. While PML-N will get the PM Office, Punjab CM, and Speaker National Assembly and will nominate governors for Sindh and Balochistan.
The announcement was made in a late-night joint press conference which was held at Zardari House in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was accompanied by his father Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif among other leaders from both parties.
“پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی اور مسلم لیگ ن کے نمبرز پورے ہوچکے ہیں اور اب ہم وفاق میں حکومت بنانے کی پوزیشن میں ہیں۔”
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) February 20, 2024
چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری@BBhuttoZardari pic.twitter.com/p5Z2BEB6ue
Addressing the late-night press conference, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “We pray the upcoming [coalition] government manages to overcome external and internal problems faced by the country.”
He asserted that after the election of the prime minister, the presidential election will follow. He further added, “We are thankful to the PML-N for throwing its weight behind PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari.”
In the recently concluded elections in Pakistan, PML-N emerged as the single-largest party with 79 seats of the 266-member National Assembly while PPP secured 54 seats. Pertinent to note that as part of the Pakistani Army’s crackdown against the Imran Khan-led outfit, PTI was stripped of its national symbol, a bat, and its candidate had to contest as independent. Despite the establishment’s alleged mass rigging, PTI-backed candidates won 92 seats.
Along with four minor parties, the alliance has a sufficient majority in the Pakistani legislature.
As per Article 91(2) of the Pakistani Constitution, the inaugural session of the National Assembly must be convened by 29th February. On the first day of the NA session, members will be sworn in, and subsequently, a secret ballot will be conducted to elect the speaker and deputy speaker. Following this, the newly elected speaker will outline the timetable for the Prime Minister’s election. With a total of 336 seats in the assembly, (266 elected -70 reserved seats for women and non-Muslims based on NA elections) 169 votes are necessary for the election of the Prime Minister.
As the current President’s term has ended, the Presidential election will occur shortly after the government formation process concludes at both the federal and provincial levels, along with the Senate elections scheduled for the first week of March.
