ISLAMABAD: In the midst of political uncertainty over the formation of a government at the Centre, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sarfraz Bugti announced on Sunday that the party would form a government in Balochistan with the help of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
“The PML-N would be our ally in Balochistan [as it has] given us a clear signal to form our government [in the province],” Bugti said at a press conference in Islamabad with party parliamentary committee members Haji Malik Shah and Sardar Sarbuland Khan.
His statements came as the Bilawal Bhutto-led party is poised to create a government in the country’s western region, having secured 11 seats in the 51-member provincial legislature, compared to the PML-N’s 10 seats.
Despite engaging in a war of words in the run-up to the elections, both parties, who were previously close allies during the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s government, are on track to re-emerge as key political stakeholders following the PPP’s announcement to support the PML-N’s candidate for prime minister after neither party secured a simple majority in the polls.
Pakistan’s political landscape has been marked by exceptional uncertainty since none of the parties, including the PPP, PML-N, and PTI-affiliated candidates, were able to gain a simple majority in the National Assembly during the February 8 general elections.
All of the major political stakeholders are attempting to recruit independent candidates.Bugti declined to provide a specific date for the PPP’s future policy, saying that the party would “soon” complete government-related items.
“[We] will soon form our government with our allies,” he stated, emphasizing that the party has enough seats but has not decided on a candidate for chief minister.
