Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's PML-N floats idea of 'participatory coalition government': Report
The Hindu
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) led by former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has pitched the idea of a “participatory coalition government” to rival parties to end the logjam following the split verdict in the February 8 election, according to media reports on February 12.
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) led by former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has pitched the idea of a “participatory coalition government” to rival parties to end the logjam following the split verdict in the February 8 election, according to media reports on February 12.
PML-N has 75 seats in the 266-member National Assembly, the single largest party. Independent members, mostly backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, have secured 101 seats.
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Former Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar termed this scenario ‘Hobson’s choice’ and said not a single political party had secured a majority in the National Assembly, insisting that elections were “fair”.
The senior PML-N leader was talking to the media after a meeting of the party’s top brass at Jati Umra in Lahore during which consultations were held regarding the future course of action. The former Minister said the PML-N had started consultations with its former allies to form a unity government in the Centre.
“There’s only the possibility of forming the (federal) government with the backing of the PML-N. It will be a participatory coalition government,” he said, adding that it was in “the largest interest of the country that all should join hands” to form the federal government, the Dawn newspaper reported.
According to PML-N sources, the initial formula stipulates that if the coalition parties agree to give the post of Prime Minister to the PML-N, then the post of President and Speaker will be given to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
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