By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned of a dangerous stalemate on Tuesday as his party resumed tense negotiations with the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PM-N) in the National Assembly to reach a power-sharing agreement for forming the next coalition administration.
Bhutto-Zardari, the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said that the delay in the government formation was hurting the country’s democracy, economy and stability, and urged the PML-N to show more flexibility in the talks.
The PML-N, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly with 75 seats, followed by the PPP with 54, in the inconclusive general elections held on Feb. 8. However, neither party secured a simple majority in the house, leaving them unable to form a government independently.
The two parties agreed in principle to join forces to govern the center after the polls, which were marred by allegations of rigging and violence. The PPP announced that it would support the PML-N candidate for the prime ministerial slot but would not participate in the federal cabinet.
Despite five rounds of talks, no conclusive agreement has been reached so far.
“Questions are being raised about Pakistan’s political situation,” Bhutto-Zardari told reporters in Islamabad. “Questions are being raised about the legitimacy of the election. The sooner the process of government formation is completed, the better it will be.”
He said the PML-N had reached out to the PPP for government formation, adding that he would vote for them on his own terms. “The delay is due to the non-seriousness of the [PML-N] dialogue committee,” Bhutto-Zardari said. “I am not the one suffering from it. Pakistan is suffering. The democracy of Pakistan is at stake. The sooner this issue is resolved, the better it will be in terms of stability for the upcoming government.”
The PPP chairman said he was not in a hurry and that he stood by his position. “If someone else wants to change their position, progress can be made. If not, I see a very dangerous stalemate ahead.”
Bhutto-Zardari said that the people’s message was that no single party could run the country and that all would have to work together. “In a democracy, you call this process a compromise, which means that there will be a give and take if political parties form an alliance.”
He said after the polls, all political stakeholders would have to form a consensus on the way forward in order to save the democratic and parliamentary system. “The only way to get out of this situation is dialogue and compromise.”
When asked about the PPP’s talks with the PML-N, Bhutto-Zardari noted that technically the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, was the “single largest group” but had said that it would not talk to anyone. On the other side was the PML-N and the PPP had decided that it would talk to those who came to them. “But if I have to give a vote to the PML-N, I will do it on my terms … I will not give it on the N League’s.”
The political deadlock has raised fears of instability and uncertainty in Pakistan, which is facing multiple challenges, including a severe economic crisis.
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