A lukewarm alphabet soup: K-P coalition partners complain of being left out

PTI’s ‘plan B’ includes chatting with JUI-F about joining the mix.

PESHAWAR:

A leap of faith, a quick consummation, and a bumpy ride barrelling towards a break-up. At a glance, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) multi-partner coalition reads like a Las Vegas marriage. But the complaining (remaining) coalition partners sound more like disgruntled spouses in a marriage of convenience. And so go their woes of decisions taken unilaterally and feeling left out.

The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) saga has only enhanced this feeling. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) recently created a committee to negotiate with the centre on Pesco without taking the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) or the Awaami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) on board.

JI spokesperson Advocate Israrullah Khan confirmed the recent developments. Israrullah told The Express Tribune their ministers were not consulted over the formation of the committee announced on Monday by K-P Minister for Information Shah Farman.

Minister for Finance, JI’s Sirajul Haq, has vast experience in running fiscal affairs from his Muttahida Majiis Amal tenure, argued the party’s spokesperson. He added Haq proved this when he convened a joint meeting of all parties recently for the recovery of net hydel profits.

“PTI held a meeting before forming the (Pesco) committee without informing Sirajul Haq.” According to Israrullah, when the media contacted the minister, he had no idea about the meeting or the body formed for Pesco talks.

“Sometimes we (JI) are consulted at the eleventh hour about core issues, even though we should be onboard since the very beginning on all issues,” said a senior JI leader, requesting anonymity.

He maintained PTI only entered into an alliance with the JI after being rejected by the Pakistan Peoples Party, which, according to him, turned the offer down on the directives of the party’s patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Befriending foes?

K-P government insiders shared the PTI is weighing various options for ‘plan B’. The party is even reportedly considering solemnising their relationship with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Several senior leaders have met JUI-F to bring them into the coalition, said one of the sources. However, he said a deadlock prevails over the divide of ministries between the PTI and JUI-F. The insider maintained the latter is asking for four of their members to become ministers, but PTI is only willing to swing two ministries.

Others familiar with the matter said the AJIP also holds similar reservations as the JI of being left in the cold as far as decision making in the government is concerned. And for AJIP, those are sizeable concerns, considering it is not a high stake roller in the affair.

JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai neither confirmed nor denied the reports about the meetings with K-P’s coalition ruler.

PTI K-P General Secretary Khalid Masood explained that the committee formed by the K-P government on Pesco includes technical experts for resolving core issues before the takeover. “We are not ready to accept only power distribution – the body was formed to take up all major issues, including energy generation and net hydel profit.”

All partners will be included with the passage of time but as of now, the committee will handle the technicalities of the matter, he shared.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2014.