Proposal to have two prime ministers during five-year term being discussed n PPP leader claims PML-N has offered slot of President, Chairman Senate, Speaker, Punjab Governor to PPP n Says PPP leaders have demanded PM’s slot for Bilawal in CEC meeting n Tarar claims PML-N will announce PM candidate after consensus with allies n PML-N claims simple majority in Punjab Assembly n More independents join PML-N after holding separate meetings with Shehbaz, Maryam.

 

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE  -  The major political parties in­cluding Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party have intensified their efforts to woo other parties and independent candidates in order to form new government in the centre as they failed to se­cure simple majority. 

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Deputy Secre­tary General Attaullah Tarar on Monday said that the PML-N emerged as the largest party in the centre and Punjab. He ex­pressed optimism that more in­dependent members would join the PML-N soon.

Addressing a press conference at the party secretariat in Model Town, he said that the party was in a position to form a govern­ment in the Punjab province as it had attained a simple major­ity in the province. The PML-N leader said that discussions were underway with the Pakistan Peo­ples’ Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) for the Centre. Efforts are underway to induct more new­ly elected members in the party, he mentioned.

Attaullah Tarar said that a can­didate for premiership would be announced after a proper con­sensus of all political allies. He said that PML-N was going to form a government in Punjab and he congratulated all PML-N workers, elected members and leaders. About election results, he emphasised that certain el­ements had prematurely cele­brated their triumph based on the initial announcement of a 25 percent result. However, when the comprehensive results were revealed, these elements began alleging electoral malpractice and raised concerns about rig­ging, he added. 

He admitted that promi­nent PML-N figures such as Rana Sanaullah, Mian Javed La­tif, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, and Khawaja Saad Rafique had lost their seats, adding that if there had been rigging by the PML-N, these seats could not have been lost. He stated that his party had gracefully accepted electoral re­sults in areas where they faced defeat. Also, Tarar said that with the joining of the independent members, the PML-N had 146 members in the Punjab Assem­bly. He claimed a simple majori­ty in the Punjab Assembly saying that total strength of the PML-N would touch the figure of 150 by the end of the day. 

Replying to a question, Tarar said that all the political parties engaged in negotiations regard­ing formation of governments will jointly announce the name of the Prime Minister. 

As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) active­ly seeks the support of inde­pendent members and political parties to form its governments both in the centre and Punjab, a group of seven independently elected members of the Punjab Assembly, along with one MNA-elect from Rajanpur separate­ly met with PML-N President Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday. 

During the meetings, they offi­cially announced their affiliation with the PML-N, expressing con­fidence in the leadership of par­ty Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif. 

Those who called on the PML-N president and senior vice-president included Sardar Shamshir Mazari (N A-189), Imran Akram (PP-195), Suhail Khan (PP-240) from Bahawal­nagar, Khizr Hussain Mazari (PP-297) from Rajanpur, Sahib­zada Mohammad Ghazin Abba­si (PP-249) from Rajanpur, Khu­rram Virk (PP-48) from Sialkot, Zulfiqar Ali Shah (PP-96) from Chiniot, Rana Fayyaz (PP-49) from Pasrur, and Saqib Chadhar (PP-97) from Chiniot

Their decision to join the PML-N was initially announced through social media videos a day earlier and this formal meet­ing marked as their official in­duction into the party ranks. Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz warmly welcomed the independent members, com­mending their dedication to col­laborate with the PML-N for the betterment of the people. Sheh­baz emphasized the party’s pri­mary focus on the economic well-being of the nation, under­scoring Nawaz Sharif’s vision and leadership experience as es­sential assets for Pakistan.

Pakistan Peoples Party Mon­day kept the nation guessing on the possible deal with the Paki­stan Muslim League (Nawaz) to form a coalition government af­ter the February 8 polls. The PPP Central Executive Committee held a marathon meeting here chaired by Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to dis­cuss the options to become part of a coalition government. The PPP CEC meeting will continue today (February 13) to finalise their proposals.

PPP sources however, told The Nation that majority of the PPP leaders supported Bilawal’s nomination as the next Prime Minister which will be a bitter pill for the PML-N to swallow. “The options are still open but the priority so far seems eleva­tion of Bilawal as the PM. This is not an inflexible condition but most of the leaders support this proposal. Then there are pro­posals and offers about other constitutional offices including that of the President,” said a se­nior PPP leader.

Citing the recent meeting be­tween the PPP and the PML-N leadership, another PPP lead­er said the PML-N was happy to give away the slot of the Presi­dent, Chairman Senate, Speaker and Governor Punjab to the PPP.