PPP, PML-N finally reach new coalition govt deal in Pakistan

The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party have finally reached an agreement to form a new coalition government after days of intense negotiations senior party leaders have announcedIn a joint news conference late on Tuesday night Pakistan Peoples Party PPP Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari announced that Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif 72 is set to assume the role of the Prime Minister once again At the same time PPP cochairman Asif Zardari 68 is slated to become the countrys President againThe PPP and PMLN have achieved the required number and now we are in a position to form the government Bilawal told reporters He said former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan TehreekeInsaf PTI partybacked candidates and Sunni Ittehad Council SIC failed to achieve a simple majority in Parliament to form government in the CentreBilawal hoped that the news of the political alliance with the PMLN to form a coalition government would lead to a positive market response as the cashstrapped country faced a hung Parliament after the February 8 elections Independent candidates a majority backed by 71yearold Khans Pakistan TehreekeInsaf PTI party won 93 National Assembly seatsSpeaking on the occasion Shehbaz Sharif asserted that his PMLN now has the required numbers with the PPP to be in a position to form the next government as he thanked the leadership of the two parties for the positive conclusion to the talksThe former prime minister emphasised the unity between the two parties noting that they were wellpositioned to form the government at the Centre The Express Tribune newspaper reported The PMLN won 75 seats while the PPP came third with 54 seats The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan MQMP has also agreed to support them with their 17 seatsTo form a government a party must win 133 out of 265 contested seats in the 266member National Assembly or the lower house of Parliament Meanwhile in a post on X 71yearold Khans PTI hit out at the newly cemented PPP PMLN alliance as PDM 20 PDM 20 MandateThievesThe announcement of the alliance came a day after the latest round of talks between the top leaders of the two parties ended inconclusively on Monday as both sides failed to reach a consensus on a powersharing formula to form a coalition governmentShehbaz Sharif who was prime minister from 2022 to 2023 said that the journey ahead for the new government would not be easy but fraught with many difficulties and obstacles He asserted that the coalition alliance will tackle them together the Dawn newspaper reportedPPP cochairperson Zardari who was president from 2008 to 2013 has said the struggle of the political alliance bidding to make the next government is for the sake of the country and future generations The February 8 general elections have been controversial with several serious allegations of widespread rigging to alter the resultsImran Khans sister Aleema Khan said the PTI chief has termed the February 8 elections mother of all rigging Aleema met Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Tuesday She told reporters that the peoples mandate was stolen following the elections She also said that Imran Khan has strongly condemned the suspension of internet services which he claimed was used to hide the real results