Media watch: Weakening coalition

Media discusses the situation the PPP government has landed in after the JUI-F broke away from the coalition.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

Coalition cracks

It is no surprise then that Maulana Fazlur Rahman`s angry walkout has sent PPP troubleshooters on a search for new partners. The PPP would be happy to court just anyone, and it would be willing to pay the price, just as it was ready to buy the expensive JUI-F favour. Support for the Zardari-Gilani government had earned the maulana prizes such as a few ministries and recently the chairmanship of the Council of Islamic Ideology. (dawn.com)

The coalition crisis

The developments are now being watched with a hawk’s eye. Much hinges on what final decision is taken by the MQM. In this scenario, the PML-Q, with 51 seats in the National Assembly becomes a key player. We already know that contacts between them and the PPP have been on for some time. The prime minister and his party may be willing to do almost anything to save their place in power. (thenews.com.pk)

PPP on shaky ground

It appears that Zardari camp is of the view that it has a lot of room to manoeuvre but this overconfidence might ruin the ruling dispensation. It has contacted the PML-Q to get its support in an attempt to repair the damage caused by the JUI-F’s estrangement. However, party leader Chaudhry Shujaat has replied that the PPP government would first have to mend its ways. (nation.com.pk)

Future of the coalition

If the MQM also decides to withdraw its support at the Centre and in Sindh, PPP will be scrambling to find another partner to replace the loss of 33 seats (MQM 25, JUI-F 8). The most likely candidate for a new partnership is PML-Q, with its strength of 51 in the National Assembly. (dailytimes.com.pk)