Tag: PPP

  • Zardari might be our next president; Bilawal wants Murad as CM Sindh

    Zardari might be our next president; Bilawal wants Murad as CM Sindh

    In a recent development reported by Geo News, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has expressed his preference for Murad Ali Shah to serve as the Chief Minister of Sindh for the third consecutive term.

    Sources revealed that alongside Shah, other names under consideration for the Sindh CM post include Faryal Talpur, Nasir Hussain Shah, and Sharjeel Memon.

    It’s noted that some leaders within the PPP advocate for Faryal Talpur to potentially become Sindh’s first woman chief minister, adding an intriguing dynamic to the selection process.

    Furthermore, amidst political alliances forming in the country, a six-party coalition consisting of PML-N, PPP, MQMP, PML-Q, IPP, and BAP has been announced.

    This alliance, reminiscent of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), aims to form the next government at the federal level.

    Notably, Asif Ali Zardari, the former president, is expected to lead the country for the second time, pending the coalition’s success.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari affirmed PPP’s support for PML-N in electing its prime minister, though without direct involvement in the federal government.

    However, discussions surrounding key constitutional posts, including the National Assembly speaker, Senate chairman, and president, have ensued. Bilawal expressed his desire for Asif Ali Zardari to assume the presidency, citing the need for experienced leadership in addressing the country’s challenges.

    In addition to the presidency, PPP is reportedly eyeing the post of Balochistan chief minister, with Sarfraz Bugti briefing the party on the province’s political landscape.

    Sources suggest that PML-N leadership has agreed to support Zardari for the presidency in exchange for PPP’s backing of Shehbaz Sharif for the prime minister’s post, potentially shaping the future political landscape with a PML-N prime minister and a PPP president.

    Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Rana Sanaullah said PPP did not not demand the top constitutional post of president.
    In a statement, Sanaullah said that Shehbaz had experience of working with allies, while Asif Ali Zardari has the political acumen to take prudent decisions.

    He said that neither the PPP demanded the position of the president nor did they make any commitment. “We hope that [JUI-F chief] Fazlur Rehman will become part of the government,” he added.

  • ‘PTI can talk to all parties to solve country’s problems’; Ali Muhammad Khan offers olive branch

    ‘PTI can talk to all parties to solve country’s problems’; Ali Muhammad Khan offers olive branch

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported independent candidates are currently leading in numbers after the recent general elections. However, the party’s leadership seems unsure about their stance on discussions with other political parties in the context of forming a government in Islamabad.

    A day earlier, former Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his party will not talk to mainstream parties, including, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

    On the other hand, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan said in an interview with Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ that PTI can talk with all political parties to solve the country’s problems, offering an olive branch as opposed to his party’s hard-line stance.

    “We have no personal fight with these parties,” Ali said pointedly, adding that PTI is ready to sit with other political stakeholders, as soon as “tomorrow morning”.

  • PPP likely to join federal government

    PPP likely to join federal government

    The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is likely to join the federal cabinet despite publically stating on Tuesday that the party will only support Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate for prime minister, Geo has reported on Wednesday.

    A day earlier, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that his party will only support PML-N in government formation and will not take ministries.

    In a press conference following the two-day Central Executive Committee meeting of the PPP, Bilawal stated that the party is open to offering support on specific issues and crucial votes for the Prime Minister candidate of Pakistan, aiming to facilitate government formation and restore political stability.

    “The PPP has decided that while we are not in a position to join the federal government ourselves, nor will we be interested in taking ministries in such a set-up, we also do not want to see political chaos in the country. We do not want to see perpetual crisis in the country,” he said.

    Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of PPP, announced in a press conference later the same night, the formation of a six-party alliance for the next coalition government. He stated that they had decided to form the government together.

  • After a not-so-victory victory, what is Nawaz thinking?

    After a not-so-victory victory, what is Nawaz thinking?

    The general elections of February 8 pulled many surprises, the least of which was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) managing to win the largest number of seats despite not having a symbol or even a party.

    But another surprise was the poor performance of supposed front runners, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Although the party managed to get 79 seats, it still fell way short of expectations.

    So what is the party thinking now? More importantly, what is party head Nawaz Sharif, welcomed back in October 2023 with much fanfare, going to do?

    According to veteran journalist Nusrat Javed, Nawaz is not going to do much. Talking on Public TV, Nusrat Javed said that Nawaz has shut himself off from nearly everyone and can only be enticed to come out for meeting major players, including Asif Ali Zardari. Nusrat Javed said that Nawaz is no longer interested in becoming a Prime Minister once again. “Mujhay kyon bullaya” is the mantra, said Nusrat Javed.

    However, a party insider told DAWN that Nawaz is still very much in the running for become the Prime Minister for a fourth term. “As of now, Nawaz Sharif has not been ruled out as a candidate for the PM’s slot. Since the PML-N has to lead the federal coalition, many within the Maryam Nawaz camp feel why shouldn’t [the elder Sharif] take the driving seat,” the insider told DAWN.

    The party’s senior leader and one of Nawaz’s close aided, Khwaja Asif, has said that the former Premier is not disappointed with the results of the election in which PML-N did not manage to get a simple majority, leaving it at the mercy of a buoyant PPP for forming the government.

    Talking on Geo News, Asif said, “We are aware of the shortcomings but will fulfil our promise of giving relief to the masses after coming into government.”

    He also expressed caution about the power-sharing formula that is being talked about, with PML-N ruling for three years and then PPP taking over for the remaining two.
    “It would be unwise to hand over the government to another party after bringing stability,” he remarked.

    So there you have it. What the PML-N ultimately decides to do is still unclear. Perhaps we will know more as the days unfold.

    ‘What a joke’; PTI’s Khosa on PMLN’s two PM plan

    PTI’s Latif Khosa, who won in Lahore against PML-N’s Khwaja Saad Rafique, has said that the only party poised to form the government is PTI as they are the clear winners of the February 8 general elections.

    Commenting on PML- N and PPP’s reported plan to ‘share the Prime Minister slot’ if they make an alliance, Khosa said, “What joke is being done with democracy?”

    “Who are they — who have been rejected by the people — to divide among themselves…No Assembly or Parliament can function without Imran Khan.”

    He also added that since PTI was a registered party, the winners should not be called Independents, should be given reserved seats and allowed to make the government with Imran Khan as their leader.

    Khan is currently in jail, serving sentences in three cases.

    Not a good idea to hand over government to another party after three difficult years:  Khawaja Asif

    PML-N senior leader and former defence minister Khawaja Asif has rebutted alleged claims that Nawaz Sharif was despondent after the February 8 election result not adding up in the party’s favour.

    While speaking with Shahzeb Khanzada on a Geo News program on Monday, Asif asserted that “We are aware of the shortcomings but will fulfil our promise of giving relief to the masses after coming into government. PTI is habitual of crying foul after every election,” adding that PPP has also accepted the results.

    He claimed that independent candidates are joining PML-N by choice and that the party is not offering them any bribes.

    A crucial meeting with MQM, according to Asif, went well. The veteran politician said that while Karachi has problems related to water and terrorism, Nawaz Sharif has solved the problems of the city before.

    He also stated that the party will make Punjab an example as to how the government should be run in the provinces while admitting to the shortcomings and promising to provide service and relief to the people.

    Pointing towards PTI, he said the party has a pattern of delaying every election. PPP, on the other hand, has accepted the election results and PML-N’s seats have started to increase, whereas independent candidates want to come join on their own.

  • PPP, PML-N discuss power-sharing formula in Sunday’s meeting

    PPP, PML-N discuss power-sharing formula in Sunday’s meeting

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have discussed the possibility of their parties appointing prime ministers for half of a five-year term as part of a power-sharing plan.

    The idea of appointing a prime minister for half the term was discussed during their first huddle on Sunday following the February 8 elections as part of their efforts to form a coalition government in the Centre and provinces, according to sources privy to the development.

    In 2013, PML-N and the National Party (NP) in Balochistan worked together to create a power-sharing plan. Under this plan, two chief ministers from the two parties took turns holding office for half of the five-year term.

    In Sunday’s meeting, the PPP and PML-N agreed to work together for the political stability of Pakistan after the general elections.

  • If Nawaz wants PPP, Bilawal will be Prime Minister: Zardari

    If Nawaz wants PPP, Bilawal will be Prime Minister: Zardari

    In a surprising move, PPP’s Zardari has set his sights on the Prime Minister chair for his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif told his party leaders that Zardari wants the PM slot and major ministries, if PMLN wants PPP’s support.

    According to The News’ sources, Shehbaz told party leaders that if they gave Zardari what he wanted, the PPP would support PML-N to make its government in Punjab.

    WHAT PML-N OFFERED PPP

    ARY sources claim that PML-N offered three positions to the PPP to gain its support. PPP has been offered the presidency, speaker of the National Assembly and Senate chairman, while PML-N also agreed to give the slot for chief minister Balochistan to the PPP.

    MQM AND PML-N JOIN HANDS

    After a meeting in Lahore Sunday morning, PML-N and MQM have reached a decision to work together on basic points for cooperation in the best “interest of the nation and country”.

    PMLN’s Marriyum Aurangzeb, while announcing the news, did not say what the two parties had agreed upon but said that an alliance between them was in affect.

    With the PPP, a decision on whether to give Bilawal Bhutto the Prime Minister chair is yet to be made.

    SHOCKING

    Party sources have told GEO News that, the PML-N leadership was in a shock as the election results did not meet their expectations at all. Sources said that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N leaders were overconfident, the party leadership didn’t pay much attention to public rallies, door-to-door campaigns, mass public campaigns and direct contact with voters.

    Sources claimed that if there was a fallout with the PPP, PML-N would make a coalition government with MQM, JUI-F and other smaller parties, including independents and electable. They further claimed that in this scenario, PML-N will make Shehbaz Sharif the prime minister and Maryam Nawaz the Chief Minister of Punjab.

    In the PML-N meeting when Maryam Nawaz’s name was finalised for Chief Minister punjab, according to ARY sources, all members agreed and said she had done a commendable job campaigning for the party. They also said that it would be a first for Pakistan to have a female chief minister for Punjab.

  • When will we know who is the next Prime Minister of Pakistan?

    When will we know who is the next Prime Minister of Pakistan?

    Polling is over for perhaps the most contentious elections in Pakistan’s history, and now the nation is waiting for the results for Pakistan’s general elections.

    But when will we know who their next Prime Minister will be?

    Not anytime soon, unfortunately.

    Here’s how it works. The results as yet are unofficial. Official results are being compiled by ECP and will take a while to tabulate.
    Once the votes are counted, the parliament will take oath. Then the house will hold election for Prime Minister and the candidate who has the majority of legislators behind him, he wins.

    We know that PML-N candidate for Prime Minister is Nawaz Sharif while for PPP its Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    Could a dark horse become our Premier? We’ll know in a few short days.

  • Restore mobile service now: Bilawal Bhutto

    Restore mobile service now: Bilawal Bhutto

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wants the mobile service across the country to be restored. The former foreign minister wrote a post on X (previously Twitter) saying, “Mobile phone services must be restored immediately across the country. I have asked my party to approach both ECP and the courts for this purpose.”

    Other politicians are also agreeing with BBZ, including Independent candidate and former PPP minister, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.

  • PML-N will emerge as the biggest party in election, government survey

    PML-N will emerge as the biggest party in election, government survey

    A review report of a government organization has revealed that in the general elections to be held on February 8, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will emerge as the largest party, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The third in line is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) while other parties will follow.

    Geo’s Umar Cheema reported an official who spoke to The News on the condition of anonymity and said that the government body came up with the analysis based on information gathered through interviews with police sources, revenue department, labor unions and professionals in various sectors.

    He explained that the review has been carried out at the police station and union council level. The survey has been done scientifically to remove the possibility of wrong estimates, although the popularity rate of PML-N has been lower in the surveys conducted so far. An optimistic estimate has been made as the party has recorded an increase in popularity since the return of Nawaz Sharif, but no one has so far given an estimate of how many seats the party can win.

    International media has also presented Nawaz Sharif as the future prime minister, but whether he will be able to get a simple majority or not is not clear. According to this official assessment, the PML-N will bag between 115 and 132 seats in the National Assembly.

    The inclusion of reserved seats for women and minorities would mean that the party would have a chance to form a government alone with a simple majority. It can get close seats, which means PML-N can get a complete majority in the provincial assembly.

    PML-N can make a clean sweep in Punjab except for a few districts, says the survey.

    According to the estimate, PML-N will form a government with a possible two-thirds majority in Punjab, PML-N will succeed in forming coalition governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while the PPP has the possibility of forming a government only in Sindh.

    The review report says that PPP can get 35 to 40 seats at the center while the independent candidates of PTI can get between 23 to 29 seats. MQM may get 12 to 14 seats, JUI six to eight seats, Q-League and Satwat Pakistan Party are expected to get two to three seats in the National Assembly.

  • Electioneering in Sindh – V

    Electioneering in Sindh – V

    In this part, we will discuss candidates’ prospects from Hyderabad division, i.e. Tando Mohammad Khan, and Badin districts. There are four National Assembly (NA) and nine provincial assembly (PA) seats in these three districts of Sindh.

    The PPP’s Syed Naveed Qamar is being challenged by 16 candidates on NA 221, which is the sole NA seat of district Tando Mohammad Khan. His main opponents are Mir Ali Nawaz Talpur of GDA, Ahmed Noonari of Khadmeen-e-Sindh, Mohammad Irfan of PTI and Imtiaz Hussain of MQM-P. Naveed Qamar won this seat in the 2018 elections by securing 76,077 votes, while GDA’s Ali Nawaz Talpur and PTI’s Abdul Jabbar Memon got 45,169 and 15,450 votes respectively. Although the PPP candidate has a lead over his close rival from GDA, an interesting contest is expected here.

    In PS 66, 20 candidates are contesting the polls. Among those, Ali Nawaz Talpur of GDA, M. Javed Rajput of MQM-P, Aijaz Ali of JI, Ambar of JUI-F, Pir Muhammad Ali Sarhandi of TLP, M. Altaf Nizamani of PTI and Syed Aijaz Hussain Shah of the PPP are prominent candidates. PPP’s Aijaz Shah won this seat in 2018 by getting 32,659 votes while Mir Ali Hyder Talpur of GDA and Altaf Nizamani of PTI got 20,736 and 13,801 votes respectively. Although Aijaz Shah seems to be all set for victory, nothing can be said till the announcement of the election results.

    On another PA seat, PS 67, a total of 12 candidates are competing for success. Dr. Qadir Magsi, a nationalist contesting from the platform of Khadmeen-e-Sindh, Khurram Karim Soomro of PPP and Abdul Rahim of PTI are prominent candidates on this seat. Abdul Karim Soomro of PPP, father of the present PPP candidate, previously won this seat by beating Abdul Rahim Katiar of GDA and Abdul Latif Soomro of PTI. Nationalists and supporters of Qadir Magsi are confident that he may pull a surprise.

    Badin is one of the real battlegrounds during the 2024 elections. Two friends turned foes, Asif Zardari and Zulfiqar Mirza, are fighting for electoral supremacy on two NA and five PA seats. Mirza clinched Badin in 2017 local bodies elections but could defend just one NA and one PA seat in the 2018 general election. After the restoration of nomination forms by the court, they are still in a legal battle for getting GDA’s symbol. Until they get their symbols, official GDA candidates are Mir Hussain Bux Talpur, Muhammad Hassam Mirza, Mansoor Ali Nizamani, Mir Abdullah Khan, Hasnain Ali Mirza, Muhammad Hassam Mirza and Ameer Hassan Panhwar on NA 222, 223, PS 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72 respectively. The PPP has fielded five winners of the 2018 elections, one runner-up and one new face, which are Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, Rasool Bux Chandio, Muhammad Halepoto, Mir Allah Bux Talpur, Arbab Amir Amanullah, Taj Muhammad Mallah and Ismail Rahu on NA 222, 223 PS 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 respectively. A close contest is expected on all constituencies except PS 72 Badin-V, where PPP’s Ismail Rahu is in a better position against GDA’s Ameer Hassan Panhwar.

    There are only one NA and two provincial assembly seats for grabs in Sujawal district. Ayaz Ali Shah Sheerazi of the PPP is up against Molvi Muhammad Saleh Alhadad of JUI-F, Muhammad Ramzan Lashari of MQM, Ghulam Sarwar Khatti of TLP and Mumtaz Ali Shah of PTI on NA 224. PPP’s Ayaz Shah Sheerazi won this seat in 2018 by getting 130,000 votes against MMA’s Molvi Saleh, who got 11,184 votes. On PS 73 Sujawal-I, Hussain Shah Shirazi of PPP, Dhani Dino Jakhro of TLP, Muhammad Ismail Memon of JUI-F, Juman Sindhi of Khadmeen-e-Sindh, Deedar Ali of PTI and Manzoor Ali Mallah of MQM-P are notables. PPP’s Shah Hussain Shirazi won this seat in 2018 and he is the frontrunner in 2024 elections as well. Ghulam Fatma of MQM, Muhammad Ali Malkani of PPP, Najeebullah of JUI-F, Ghulam Sarwar Khatti of TLP, and Muhammad Ashraf Thaheem of Khadmeen-e-Sindh are the main contenders among 15 candidates on PS 74 Sujawal-II. Muhammad Ali Malkani of PPP won this seat in 2018 while TLP’s Ghulam Muhammad Naeemi stood a distant second. PPP’s Malkani is a strong candidate on this seat.