Ace in the hole?: QWP, PML-N perfect their poker face over LG preps

The two opposition parties claim they have not been formally invited to any alliance.

PESHAWAR:

As other political parties cosy up for local bodies’ polls, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) continue to hold their cards close to the vest.

Officials from the two opposition groups say they have not been contacted by the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) or Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) – these three had decided last month to enter into a province-wide alliance for the local government (LG) polls.

Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have also hinted at joining hands for the impending elections.

Playing hard to get?

If QWP and PML-N have not been wooed, they have also not made any advances.

PML-N is the largest opposition party, claimed its lawmaker Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan the opposition leader of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. PML-N provincial information secretary Nasir Musazai told The Express Tribune that his party has not been contacted for any alliance and is busy prepping for the polls.

However, he attributed his party’s lukewarm response to the LG polls to the government dithering over elections.

Earlier, the PTI-led government promised polls will be held within the first 90 days of coming into power. The government is yet to announce a final date for the local bodies’ polls.

“The government says polls are scheduled for March. If that is the case, they should have announced an election schedule by now,” argued Musazai. He claimed his party was the second-largest in terms of the vote bank in K-P, next only to the PTI. PML-N will be more vocal about its strategy after a date is announced, shared the party’s provincial information secretary.

QWP is also one of the largest opposition parties, with 10 MPAs. It was part of the coalition till November when it was shown the door by PTI over allegations of corruption. PTI chairperson Imran Khan and a QWP former minister are currently engaged in litigation over the minister’s dismissal. Although the QWP joined the provincial opposition in last month’s assembly session, it was also not invited for tri-party talks with ANP, PPP and JUI-F. Its spokesperson Tariq Ahmed Khan said no one has formally contacted them to be part of any coalition.

Like his PML-N counterpart, he emphasised his party remains busy in preparations for polls. Tariq did not rule out chances of entering into alliance with other parties, “Nothing is final in politics”.

Tariq refused to respond to queries about pairing with the PML-N. He simply stated that though his party was sitting in the opposition in the federal government, it has supported the PML-N’s candidate in elections for both premier and president.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.