Photo courtesy PPP Media Cell
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman on Monday announced the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) will continue deliberations for a second day today (Tuesday) on its role in the formation of the next government in the center.
Addressing a press conference after Monday’s meeting, Rehman said a “final decision” was still pending. She said the CEC had decided to form a committee to initiate contacts with all political parties—including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independents—regarding the formation of the next government.
PPP leader Shazia Marri, meanwhile, said the apex committee had expressed reservations over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Feb. 8 general elections. Party spokesperson Faisal Karim Kundi noted concerns were raised regarding elections in all provinces. Confirming the CEC meeting would resume around 3 p.m. today (Tuesday), he said it had discussed the prevailing scenario in details, as well as all potential alliances.
Reportedly, a majority of the participants of the CEC believed it would not be “wise” to join any new government that forms due to the prevailing economic challenges—though they all agreed that it was not possible for any other party to form the government without the PPP’s support.
On Sunday, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) President Shehbaz Sharif led a delegation that met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the formation of the government in the center, as well as future political strategies. In a joint statement, the two parties said the leaders had discussed political instability and the prevailing political scenario. Reportedly, the PMLN offered the PPP the slots of the president, the Senate chairman, and the National Assembly speaker in exchange for the prime minister’s office as part of a power-sharing agreement.