A new political alliance is in the offing in Pakistan to challenge the fragile government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), political sources said.
“The Opposition parties are joining hands. They are planning to form a new alliance together with the angry partners of the government to challenge the PPP,” an
informed source told this newspaper. Coalition partner Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) parted ways with the PPP-led coalition after the sacking of one of their ministers — Azam Khan Swati — by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Another ally, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, this week gave the PPP an ultimatum of 10 days to accept its demands or it would quit the government. Any such move by the MQM will leave the PPP without a majority in Parliament. Sources said the MQM, the PML (Nawaz), PML (Quaid-e-Azam) and JUI-F are planning to join hands against the PPP-led government.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain telephoned PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Sayed to discuss recent developments that might pave the way for a new political alliance. In the prevailing situation comparatively smaller parties have emerged as significant players.
However, the PPP is quite confident of normalising ties with its allies, especially the MQM and JUI-F, soon after Ashura-e-Muharram, observed on Friday.
Another report said the JUI-F was also considering parting ways with the provincial governments in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.