Islamabad: Former president and senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari reiterated his party will not accept any portfolio in the federal cabinet unless promises made to the political parties and allies are fulfilled.
Zardari was instrumental in making the April 10 vote of no-confidence successful against Imran Khan. He, in fact, led the no-trust motion after holding lengthy consultations with other political parties, including the Muttahid Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) and even independent lawmakers. Majority of these parties and individuals voted against their former allies the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on Zardari’s request and they admitted to that in private and public meetings.
In return, the former president promised them appropriate representation in the Federal Cabinet. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, despite several meetings with Asif Zardari and his son Chairman of the PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has so far failed to get the names from the PPP as the veteran politician has made it clear he would first get the coalition partners accommodated in the cabinet.
Accommodate partners first
While talking to media persons after election of his party’s nominee Raja Pervez Ashraf to the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Zardari said he did not think his party would accept any ministries in Sharif’s cabinet as he was the guarantor of the agreements and would like to see them implemented.
Similarly, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, convener of the MQM-P, said he was more interested in serving the people than cabinet portfolios.
Zardari said he wanted to give a chance to “friends” referring to the government’s new coalition partners. According to senior members of the PPP their party was more interested in constitutional offices and electoral reforms than ministries.
Sharif waiting for PPP’s names
Sharif, on the other hand, has been insisting that the PPP should join his cabinet without further delay so that the normal working of the new government could start and political uncertainty might come to an end. However, the PPP, the second biggest party in the ruling coalition (with 56 seats) after the PML-N (83) said it was more interested in supporting him while staying out of the cabinet.
According to the senior member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Ahsan Iqbal, the prime minister has been taking his time to form the new cabinet as he wanted to take along all allies, especially those who had left the PTI-led ruling coalition and joined the opposition.
The PPP has already clinched the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly and now it is also looking forward to bagging the Deputy Speaker post. However, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) a major coalition partner, has given the name of a woman MNA for the slot.
