People ambivalent about coalition split

“The split has come too early. Small political parties and pressure groups like the MQM could reap benefits from the split in the ruling coalition. These factions flourished in Musharraf regime and now they got the opportunity of reaping benefits from the PPP government. Political manoeuvring is also expected in Punjab and it could prove fatal for the democratic process”, said Fatima Hussain, a resident of Gulberg.

“The alliance of the PPP and the PML-N was quite unnatural. Both the parties have different ideologies. The nation was expecting split sooner or later. The only binding force between the PPP and the PML-N was the dictator sitting at the President House. Once their common enemy Pervez Musharraf was gone, the split in the ruling coalition was expected and it happened today”, said Muhammad Arsalan, a resident of Allama Iqbal Town. However, he expressed hope that both the parties would avoid confrontation. He hoped that the former partners would avoid destabilising the PPP government in centre and that of the PML-N in Punjab.