Leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have engaged in discussions regarding a novel power-sharing arrangement to divide the five-year term between them, as efforts to establish a coalition government gained momentum following a divided outcome in the elections.
Despite independent candidates, supported by the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, securing the most seats in Parliament, uncertainties persist regarding the composition of Pakistan's next government.
None of the major parties—PML-N, PPP, or PTI—have obtained the required seats to secure a majority in the 266-member National Assembly, thereby leaving it uncertain who will assume the role of the next prime minister in the financially strained nation.
During their initial meeting held on Sunday after the February 8 elections, leaders of PML-N and PPP deliberated the possibility of appointing a prime minister for half of the term as part of their efforts to form a coalition government at both the federal and provincial levels, news agency PTI reported quoting its source familiar with the discussions.
"It has been proposed that a PML-N candidate will serve as prime minister for three years and a leader from PPP for two years," the source disclosed, although it remained undecided who would assume the first term.
The meeting, attended by PPP-Parliamentarian President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from the PML-N, echoes a power-sharing formula previously employed by PML-N and National Party (NP) in Balochistan in 2013, where chief ministers from the respective parties alternated office for half of the five-year term.
Despite PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif remaining a contender for the prime ministerial position, some within the party emphasized his candidacy in the potential coalition government.
“We are having discussion with the PPP over power-sharing formula in the upcoming coalition government in the Centre and Nawaz Sharif cannot be ruled out as the prime ministerial candidate,” stated PML-N Senator Irfan Saddique.
In their meeting at Bilawal House in Lahore, both parties tentatively agreed to collaborate for the political stability of the country post-elections, sources revealed.
Several meetings, both public and private, have occurred between PML-N and PPP leaders, alongside other parties, amid indications from the influential Pakistan Army signaling support for a unity government to address the nation's challenges.
The primary obstacle remains the leadership of the government, with both parties advocating for their respective candidates. However, discussions are ongoing, and a consensus is anticipated to emerge, according to a PML-N official.
A PPP representative reiterated the party's stance that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should be the prime minister, a decision endorsed by the PPP's Central Executive Committee prior to the elections.
In another development, the PML-N is contemplating proposing Shehbaz Sharif as a candidate for prime minister, instead of Nawaz Sharif, who reconsidered his position due to disinterest in leading a coalition government.
The political negotiations have entered an intriguing phase, with expectations that the configuration of the new administration will be finalized within the coming days.
