The candidates have been asked to submit applications by June 11, says PTI’s Punjab chapter president. PHOTO: FILE
With three coalition partners in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will have to work through many compromises to govern the province.
The party is likely to be greatly influenced by its coalition partners, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and the Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP). Unlike the PTI, the JI and QWP have more experienced lawmakers.
With the public’s mandate, the PTI is the leading party in K-P having secured 55 out of 122 seats in the provincial assembly. The QWP has 10 seats, JI has eight and the AJIP has five. Several independent MPAs and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPAs are also extending their support to the PTI.
The PTI has made agreements to give at least three ministerial portfolios each to the JI and QWP. It is also planning to give one portfolio to AJIP.
“In the developing scenario, PTI will have to sacrifice at least seven ministries out of a total 15. This will be contrary to the PTI’s agenda regarding change,” said a political analyst.
“With the youth’s support, the party is considered more of a reform-minded political force. The JI comes across as a revivalist party while the QWP leaders are attempting to portray a nationalist front to replace the Awami National Party (ANP),” he added.
The variance of their objectives could lead the coalition partners to form internal differences, not unlike the previous coalition partners which ruled the province. The ANP and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also developed differences towards the end of their rule, with both parties blaming each other for their declining popularity.
To avoid this, several rounds of meetings have been held amongst leaders of coalition parties to resolve rifts and develop consensus on an acceptable formula. The latest round of talks was held at the residence of QWP chief Aftab Sherpao on June 6, but any clear consensus is yet to be achieved.
Insiders said PTI leaders requested the coalition partners of JI and QWP to accept two ministries each. Though QWP is willing to accept such a request, JI leaders are insisting on what they call earlier commitments made with them of three ministries to the party.
They said JI leaders are also insisting on fielding their candidate for the National Assembly seat vacated by PTI chief Imran Khan from Peshawar. JI is reportedly vying to field its candidate as a joint candidate of PTI, JI, QWP and AJIP.
The PTI and JI could confront each other on educational reforms, as the latter still wants control of that ministry. On the other hand, the QWP could raise issues over the tribal areas, as the party is considering merging the tribal belt with K-P. The PTI does not have a clear stand on this matter as yet.
Similarly, the PTI is yet to state its position on the issue of militancy and terrorism, which is the chief concern of K-P’s people. PTI maintains the federal government should take the first step in the matter.
The issues faced by the province can only be tackled with unanimity of purpose. However, the PTI remains at loggerheads with the PPP and its allies. The PTI leadership is also reluctant to shake hands with PML-N and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
The QWP, on the other hand, has a confrontational approach towards the ANP and a similar situation exists between the JI and JUI-F. Some maintain they only joined the coalition to settle scores with these rival forces.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2013.
COMMENTS (35)
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I am glad that PTI is comming off its high horses and now becoming practical. Their govt depends upon JI and many lotas. They have to compromise with them all. Now they would realize how difficult it was for PPP govt. Either sit in opposition or compromise, take it or leave it.
@Usman Jilani: No use of palying number game now. You were sitting assured of tsunami sweep across Pakistan before elections. Now trying to grab at whatever is available.
Federal and 3 provincial govts. have started functioning, but party of "change" and party of "piuos" are heckling over portfolios ? wow, change is not so important !
@Xnain: Your thinking. JI=TTP the murders of our innocent civilians and soldiers.
@Muslim Leaguer:
Why not?! After all IK was nurtured, projected, funded and fed by Zardari. Its only natural for IK to pick a trait or two from his mentor ;)
@ aq .. IK got second highest number of votes in Pakistan because of his opposition of PML-N. You need opposition parties in a democracy. Not every party is going to form a coalition with your NS.
Mufahamati Policy on the pattern of AsifZardari is being displayed by PTI. It was quite easier for PTI trolls to criticise everything under the sun. But with KPK government in their hand, they are failing the test of time.
jamat e islami has a very big mouth..they want more ministries despite of the fact that they dont have mandate anywhere in Pkaistan , just for 7 ,8 seats in kpk they are shamelessly milking and blackmailing Pti. Jamat e islami should rather think on development of peple rather on ministries.
It looks like whoever wrote this story pulled information out of the air. No sources cited. ET has been consistently wrong in so many stories regarding PTI now. It's pretty clear a bias exists to undermine anything the party is doing.
@Xnain: yeah right, lets march toward fundamentalism and obscurantism, and eliminate all who have a belief system different than ours
Had IK been able to restrain his personal vendetta against NS, he would have merrily been sitting in the Federal Government today as a junior coalition partner and in turn PML-N would have his most useful ally in the KPK Assembly.
IK had promised that if he was unable to be in a position, he wouldn't form the government and would rather sit in the opposition than to compromise on his vision for New Pakistan. Alas, he has turned out to be just another opportunist who wants to be in government with the help of people whose ideologies are poles apart from PTI.
Ah well, Prudence and IK is an oxymoron.
Seems exagerated. There's lots common between JI and PTI - there's disagreement over Edu ministry but even that is not on what needs to be done but who will do it. PTI wants to keep it while initial agreement was JI. We should only be worried about "compromise" if it prevents PTI from implementing their core agenda of change which I dont see happening. Otherwise its just premature speculation.
KPK might still be the only province in Pakistan where some actual reforms can take place due to PTI. Its amazing that the previous provincial govt of KPK got almost no media space and this one is hounded even before it has announced a cabinet. Fazal ur Rehman sitting on treasury benches in center seems to be ok while JI in KPK a province where no party has a simple majority is portrayed as a scandal
WE trust in IK, it is not his fault, it is all because he not got such votes to get in power. there is two either he can sit in opposition or try to make govt with help of other winning parties like JI. keep in mind PTI not did allience with JI before election although they want too, but now PTI forced to do that. but i wii empasise again they have two optopns either to sit in opposition or form a govt, than at the end every body will ask ik for kpk performance not to ji or any other.
@Ricky: The problem of PTI was that it over focused on Punjab and ignored the rest of the country. For PTI KPK was obviously an easy gain. In Buner and Dir districts (JI stronghold) it had no organizational structure. Moreover seats were alloted to people mostly unpopular. Still people vote for PTI (in Buner PTI on NA candidate was runner-up and lost with a bit margin). It is time for PTI to consolidate its position in these areas.
See the result if your votes..you mummy daddy people :-P
@Aysha: At least not as worse as voting for MQM
KPK had the honor of swearing in the first head of the government post May 11 and the government is still yet to finalize its cabinet. Speaks volume of PTI's political and administrative abilities or lack thereof. I don't see this government lasting through the winters.
Without JI as a coalition partner, PTI's government cant survive more than two years in treasury benches. Just look at the figures, with such a strong opposition, maulana fazl and PMLN on the opposite side , PTI would have problem to run the government. PTI should have a good relation with Its partners, including JI to deliver what They have promised to the people. As far as i now, not a single minister of JI during MMA government was charged with corruption allegations.
thats where a leader can show his mettle when the whole world fears.come on captain we are still with you
now PTIans will understand, its easy to criticize.
It's easy to criticise when u r outside parliament ... Face the reality now..
71 seats are needed to form the government@Fahad:
If one follows the news clippings about this coallition, u can guess jamate islami is playing politics with PTI. They want to get the cream and leave the filth for PTI. Highly dishonest people in coalition so far.imagine what would be the situation if the coallition was with JUI (F) :-)
IK has proved his inexperience of Pakistani Politics. He said so much against NS in his campaign that now he feels internally pressurized to shake hand with PML N, otherwise NS would be a very good coalition partner in KP. Moving along with JI means a disaster in the times to come since JI carries an agenda of sabotage and opposition, no matter what it is. Having seen them active in Karachi for the last 50 years I believe that had the Khalifa be made ruler of Pakistan they would still be opposing them on petty issues leaving the main issues aside. What an irony with a good man like IK. But I still pray for his success in KP
@Falcon: PTI could have easily joined up with PML-N to form bipartisan alliance, less prone to multiple interest. But PTI went ahead with JI,Sherpao and JIP. PTI's agenda of modernization is exact opposite to JI's conservatism. This makes education ministry crucial for both's agenda 1) PTI's reforms and 2) JI's survival. So either I see an enduring deadlock or PTI losing further space in a trade-off for education ministry.
@Fahad:
Why? The reason is simple. PTI wants to blame someone for its eventual failure in KPK. PTI is a party run by people with childish ideals and does not want to take responsibility of its actions. Enjoy your childhood PTI while it lasts.
Voting for PTI = voting for JI
Why pti. Need. Coalition with all the three parties?..it has 55. seats out of 122, including either JI or qwp will led them exceed 61 seats..enough to form govt!
Compromises compromises compromises, what exactly is PTI doing ? Drones to be stopped by fed govt NATO supply to be blocked by fed govt TTP to be handled by fed govt Education in KPK to be run by JI Finance in KPK to be run by JI If every critical thing is to be handled by others what exactly is PTI doing there? Instead of compromising, I would have loved to see PTI sit in opposition in KPK also..
When PTI is the leading party in KP then why PTI wants to take its coalition partners to form a coalition government?
At the end of the day, whatever the performance will be in KP, it will be referred as directly PTI's performance in the masses and no one will blame the other coalition partners, in case if the coalition will fail to perform.
The party is over for the elitist PTI. After their joining hands with lotas, JI, close contacts with TTP and character assassination of long time leader Fouzia the real face of PTI has come in unmasked. With IK the party has taken a nasty fall for lasting affects. The best day in almost two decade history of PTI is not good enough for them to make a govt even in a tiny province without the crutches of JI and other lota.
Under no circumstances we can trust JI with education ministry. Look at the profile of their leaders. Do we want these people who brought so much violence to our unversities to lead our education futre? NO WAY!
I am beginning to regret PTI-JI alliance. JI is milking this alliance to PTI's detriment.