Following political negotiations, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have agreed to form a coalition government. Shehbaz Sharif will be the new Prime Minister and Asif Ali Zardari will likely become the President. It would be a PPP and PML-N Coalition in the central government.
Late last night, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the head of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), revealed in a press conference in Islamabad that his party had agreed with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to create a joint government. The rumors of the PPP and PML-N coalition were already circulating in the political circles after the general elections.
The decision came after a series of discussions on how to share power before finally settling on forming a coalition government. The PML-N, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had previously declared their intention to team up with the PPP following the recent parliamentary elections where no single party secured a clear majority.
Despite being the largest parties, with 79 seats for PML-N and 54 for PPP, due to some candidates from Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) running as independents, they lacked a clear majority. However, together with PTI independents, they form the biggest group in parliament, totaling 93 seats.
Potential Names
During the press conference, it was announced that Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N candidate and former premier, would be nominated as the coalition’s pick for prime minister. The leaders expressed their commitment to tackling the country’s challenges, with Sharif thanking both parties for their support.
Additionally, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari disclosed that his father, Asif Ali Zardari, would be the coalition’s nominee for president. Later, the PPP and PML-N are expected to reveal further details on how they will divide key roles. It is also circulating that Shahbaz Sharif will be running for the Prime minister seat.
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The leaders emphasized their aim to establish the government swiftly. As per Pakistan’s constitution, the parliament must convene a session by February 29, followed by a vote to elect the new prime minister.
The recent elections occurred after the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022, with a caretaker government overseeing the interim period. There have been a lot of rigging allegations from PTI and other parties in recent elections as well.