PM moves to placate brooding allies

Amid threats of desertions from the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday geared up efforts to address reservations of the allied parties without whom his government could crumble after losing its razor-thin majority in the National Assembly.

The prime minister met with top Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, to discuss the ongoing political situation in the country.

The meeting was attended by high-level politicians from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Railways and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Malik Ahmad Khan.

The meeting came after allies complained of lack of development funds during the National Assembly session this week. They said that the government was not fulfilling the promises made to them at the time of the no-confidence motion against former premier Imran Khan.

During the meeting, sources said, Shehbaz discussed with the PPP leadership the agreement reached with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), including the delay in the appointment of MQM-P leader Nasreen Jalil as the Sindh governor.

Those familiar with the developments said that the participants also deliberated on the amendments to the accountability laws, appointment of new National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, political situation arising after the local bodies election in Sindh and the Lahore High Court’s decision regarding election of the Punjab chief minister.

The sources said that both sides agreed to work together and address the reservations being openly expressed by the coalition partners. Emphasising the need for taking everyone along, they added, the leaders resolved that they would not leave the allies brooding.

The PML-N-led government has started feeling the heat from major allies like the MQM-P, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and an independent National Assembly member (MNA) Aslam Bhootani.

During the budget session of the National Assembly earlier this week, the MQM-P expressed serious reservations on the conduct of the local bodies elections in Sindh and the treatment meted out to it since the coalition formed the government.

BAP’s Khalid Magsi and Bhootani also lashed out at the government in the National Assembly over its conduct with the allies, warning that the government had an edge of only two votes in the house therefore “rudeness doesn’t suit it” in the current scenario.

In his speech, Magsi had questioned the whole process of ousting the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government. It seemed, Magsi had said, the purpose was to just oust the PTI from power and enjoy the perks and privileges instead of focusing on bigger goals.

Commenting on the distribution of the portfolios among the coalition partners, Magsi had said that the BAP had so far been given only one ministry, while decisions were being taken without taking the party on board.

When needed against PTI government, he said, the incumbent rulers would visit them but now they were not even ready to see their faces. He warned that things should be corrected as the alliance was only in its third month and things were not working smoothly.

Bhootani also expressed displeasure over the ruling party’s conduct, saying that he joined the PML-N coalition after Zardari had approached him. Bhootani swore that he was happy with PTI government as PTI provided development funds of billions of rupees, adding that the funds were now cut by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

Bhootani reminded the ruling party that it had just two votes more than the majority. He added that the PML-N wouldn’t have bothered to listen to anyone had its majority was of 10 votes.

The speeches on the floor of the house had a swift impact as the prime minister has since been holding meetings with the allies and the lawmakers, who expressed displeasure on being ignored.