‘I foresee a stalemate’: Bilawal Bhutto on forming govt in Pakistan

Islamabad, Feb 20 (PTI) PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said he foresees a "stalemate" in the formation of a coalition government in Pakistan “if someone is not ready to change their stance”, indicating deepening fissures in the country's political landscape.

His remarks came a day after the latest round of talks between the top leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ended inconclusively on Monday as both sides failed to reach a consensus on a power-sharing formula to form a coalition government at the centre following a fractured verdict in the February 8 election.

The PPP is reportedly asking for key constitutional positions of President, Chairman Senate, and Speaker of the National Assembly for its support to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N.

Speaking to reporters at the Supreme Court, Bilawal said the PPP and he were adamant on their stance, highlighting that it will not be changed at any cost, the Dawn newspaper reported.

“If someone else wants to change their stance, there can be progress. If they are not ready to change it, I foresee a stalemate,” he said, adding that this would not benefit democracy or the parliamentary system.

“If I want to give the PML-N a vote, I will have to give it on my terms and not theirs,” the 35-year-old former foreign minister.

“The delay [in forming the government] is because of non-seriousness,” he said, adding that the situation is harming Pakistan’s democracy.

“The faster this is resolved, it will be better for stability and the incoming government,” he said.

The general elections have been controversial with several serious allegations of widespread rigging to alter the results. Over 11 days after the voting, there is still no clarity on which party would form the government at the Centre.

Though independent candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan won the maximum number of seats in Parliament, PML-N and PPP have announced that they will form a coalition government after the elections resulted in a hung Parliament.

However, despite multiple rounds of talks, a decision regarding PPP's inclusion in the Cabinet remained elusive.

Sources said PPP Chairman Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto was playing smartly and trying to bring PML-N to a point where it withdrew from making a coalition government and then launching himself as prime minister and form a government with the support of independents of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who have now joined the Sunni Ittehad Council.

However, it will not be easy for Bilawal as PTI has already rejected the possibility of supporting the PPP.

To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly.

Independent candidates - a majority backed by the PTI -- won 93 National Assembly seats in the election.

The PML-N won 75 seats while the PPP came third with 54 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has also agreed to support them with their 17 seats. PTI