Pakistan: Imran Khan’s Opponents Conclude Government Coalition Agreement
Candidates backed by the now-jailed former prime minister unexpectedly won the February 8 election, but will not govern the country
A coalition government will be formed in Pakistan. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) agreed to form a coalition on February 13. It excludes independent candidates, who were supported by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and won the majority of votes in the February 8, 2024 election.
The prime ministerial candidate is former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif (PML-N). The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said on Tuesday it would support him, thus breaking the post-election deadlock. These two formations ranked second and third, respectively, in the number of votes cast for them. PML-N got 80 seats, and PPP got 54 seats. Thus, they have a simple majority (134 seats out of 264), but Sharif is convinced that with the support of smaller forces, the coalition will be able to count on the 2/3 of the parliament. Independent candidates backed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, now in jail, won 92 seats, but failed to form a government. They ran independently, not as a party. Before the elections, the Supreme Court of Pakistan outlawed his Party for Justice (PTI). They would have had to make alliances to get a majority of votes anyway.
Thus, Shehbaz Sharif has now become the central figure in the minority party coalition. He was already prime minister from April 2022 to August 2023. The PML-N is also the party of Nawaz Sharif, brother of Shehbaz, who had been Pakistan’s Prime Minister several times in the past. The organization has the support of the army, which wields enormous power and influence in Islamabad’s political and economic life.
The government coalition agreement gives PPP the presidency of Pakistan. It will be taken over by Asif Ali Zardari, who heads the People’s Party along with his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The new head faces serious tasks, primarily economic. Pakistan, with a population of 241 million, is the second largest Muslim nation and is facing a serious economic crisis – slow economic growth with record inflation (around 30%). This comes against the backdrop of political and social instability, intensified by Imran Khan’s imprisonment and outlawing of his party.
In the summer of 2023, the country was close to sovereign default. Then the International Monetary Fund stepped in and provided $3 billion in aid. The assistance project will end in March. The country needs political stability to negotiate a new agreement with the IMF.