Qaumi Watan Party open to alliances for next election: Sherpao

Zardari has approached the former party stalwart to rejoin PPP, sources say

ISLAMABAD: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) is open to alliances with other political forces in the country for the next general elections, party’s chief Aftab Ahmed Sherpao has said.

“After assessing the ground realities, I will go for any kind of political alliance required in the next general elections," Sherpao told Express.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), he said, has so far not contacted him. “I attended the all parties’ conference called by the PPP on the issue of military courts, and that’s about it,” the QWP chief said.

However, sources in the PPP said Sherpao has indicated he will consider an alliance with the Zardari-led party in the 2018 general elections. “Sherpao was approached by Zardari to rejoin the PPP as he is considered to be an influential politician from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.”



The QWP and PPP, the sources added, could jointly win 10-15 National Assembly seats, and about 30 seats in the K-P assembly. “If the alliance manages to get a good number of seats, Sherpao can be offered to become the next chief minister of K-P,” the sources said.

The QWP chief, once a PPP stalwart, has been the K-P chief minister twice in the past. “Zardari is looking for political space in K-P, trying his best to win as many political players as possible,” the sources added.