Following the controversial general elections held on 8 February in Pakistan, wherein no party could secure a clear majority, efforts to form a coalition to grab power have intensified. Despite accusation of the election process being rigged, jailed former PM Imran Khan-backed independents managed to secure the maximum number of seats.
Election Results
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the results of the votes held on Sunday, 8 February, across 265 contested seats.
The elections to the country’s National Assembly led to a surprising result, with Imran Khan-backed independents winning 101 seats, as per preliminary results. The former PM’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), had been stripped of its party symbol weeks before the election, and its leader jailed and barred from fighting elections, in a move his party decried.
Azam Tarar says govt formation not possible without PML-N and claims party in a comfortable position to form Punjab govt.https://t.co/1ATh8KyeNC
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) February 12, 2024
Meanwhile, former PM Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged 75 seats, becoming the largest party in the parliament. Furthermore, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 54 votes seats, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) grabbed 17 Seats in the results. The remaining 12 seats were secured by smaller parties, with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JMI) winning four, PML-Quaid three, and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the Balochistan National Party winning two seats each.
Apart from the 265 seats for which direct elections are held, there are 70 reserved seats — 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims. To form a government, any party must win at least 133 out of the 265 contested seats and 169 out of the total 336 seats, including the reserved ones.
Coalition Efforts
Following the results, Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir called for “unity” and said that the nation needs stable hands to move on from the politics of “anarchy and polarisation.”
Amid speculation of who would form the government, reports suggested that Sharif’s PML-N was pitching the formation of a “participatory coalition government” to rival parties. A team led by former PM and Nawaz’s brother Shehbaz Sharif met PPP leader and former PM Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal to hold discussions.
According to The Dawn, PML-N intends to keep the post of the PM to itself, similar to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government that was formed after former PM Khan was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote. Additionally, the party intends to give PPP the posts of the President, National Assembly Speaker and the Senate chairman and MQM-P the posts of Deputy Speaker.
“The leaders of both parties engaged in substantive discussions regarding the prevailing political landscape and the imperative of collaborative efforts for the betterment of the country,” a release said. PML-N also contacted leaders from the JUI-F and MQM-P to secure support.
According to numbers, PPP and PML-N can join hands to form a coalition government. However, PML-N supremo Sharif has urged all parties except PTI to support the coalition as the party tries to form a joint all-party committee regarding coalition consultations.
There are also ongoing talks with PTI exploring options. While the party has ruled out tying up with PML-N or PPP, it may seek partnership with other opposition members. This is essential as no reserved seats would be allocated to independent candidates till they come under the umbrella of a political party.
Allegations of Fraud, Protests
According to The Express Tribune, PTI has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. The suspension of mobile phone services amid the polls and the long delays in the declaration of results have deepened the accusations that the elections were rigged.
Supporters of Pakistan's jailed leader Imran Khan protested amid uncertainty for the country's future. The results of the national election were finally released, putting independents backed by Khan in the lead - but with no clear majority https://t.co/PtFByLVCVH pic.twitter.com/PS0LXuawSp
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 12, 2024
PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan demanded the resignations of the CEC and Election Commission members, accusing them of facilitating the ‘poll fraud.’ The party alleged that PTI was winning with a lead of 170 National Assembly seats before the results were rigged. The CEC and other members of the commission “opened the door to violating the constitution, flouting the law, tarnishing democracy, and desecrating the public mandate,” Raoof said.
The party alleged that results of over 18 National Assembly seats were “incorrectly altered” by election officers. The party workers, along with members of other opposition parties, are now protesting across the country against the rigging.
As per reports, tear gas and batons were used to disperse the crowds gathered to protest the results and police imposed restrictions on “illegal gatherings.” PTI has urged its supporters in the UK and the US to protest the alleged rigging. Moreover, courts have been flooded with petitions from PTI-backed candidates questioning the election results.