Will PTI, PPP form government in Pakistan? Nawaz Sharif may step back amid reports of ISI-Imran deal
PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif and PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are yet to come up with any formula for power-sharing and amid reports of an ISI-Imran deal, the potential coalition agreement may fall apart. (Image: Reuters)
Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N is considering sitting on the opposition benches after realizing that it would be difficult for the government it is planning to form if PTI holds protests and rallies on a daily basis.
People familiar with the developments said that former Prime Minister of Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif may not form a government with former ally Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) at the Centre. cnn-news18Saying that Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif are unlikely to go ahead with the alliance plans.
On 9 February, Nawaz Sharif asked his younger brother and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his ‘victory speech’ in PML to hold meetings with PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Islami (Fazal) to form a coalition government. Was assigned the work of. n workers at the party headquarters in Model Town, Lahore.
But JUI-F Ameer Fazal-ur-Rehman claimed in an interview with Pakistani media outlets that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan will be defeated in the elections by the Pakistan Army. and asked Nawaz Sharif to sit with JUI-F in the opposition bench. According to the people mentioned above, PML-N felt after the interviews that it was not appropriate to form the government at the Center despite getting the largest numbers as a party.
The people mentioned above also told cnn-news18 PML-N feels that it will not be easy to negotiate with PPP’s Zardari and handle PTI-backed independent MLAs on a daily basis.
He said that despite Nawaz Sharif nominating brother Shehbaz for the PM post earlier this week, the PML-N supremo is now realizing that it is better to sit in the opposition benches.
The people mentioned above also said that Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), met Imran Khan in Adiala jail and made a deal after which Imran nominated Omar Ayub Khan as his PM candidate. He further said that it would not be easy for any government or establishment to handle the PTI-led opposition while countering international pressure.
He said that the government feels that it will be difficult to handle the daily demonstrations and long marches of PTI cadres.
PPP’s Zardari has not yet commented on these developments, but it seems likely that the PML-N will be urged to back out of its plans in this situation, the people cited above said.
Fazal’s interview
JUI-F Ameer’s interviews with Pakistani media outlets sparked existing rifts within the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition that took over the government after Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence motion vote. She said that former ISI chief Faiz Hameed had asked her to support the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan and that PPP was one of the key architects of the no-confidence motion that ousted Imran Khan in 2022.
He further said that the then Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa along with Hameed directed political parties to oust Imran Khan.
Fazal said, “I was not in favor of it, but I supported it because then the PDM would have said that I saved Imran Khan.” He said that both the 2018 and 2024 elections were rigged.
“We have decided to protest against this vote theft. Now decisions will be taken on the ground instead of in the assembly. I don’t see any future in Parliament, so I invited PML-N to sit with us,” Fazal added.
Indian officials familiar with the developments said the JUI-F could not have made these statements without the support of the Amir Sena. He said that the developments show that the Pakistani establishment is of double mindset and wants Imran Khan to form the government in alliance with PPP. He also said that the establishment fears Nawaz because of his ‘straightforward and forthright approach’.