Islamabad: In a surprising development, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari issued a strong rebuke of the cash-strapped government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said he would not abandon people and that he knows "how to form and dismantle governments". Zardari's apparent verbal threat came as the government said it would continue to seek bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In July last year, the IMF approved a $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement for debt-trapped Pakistan to support immediate efforts to stabilise the economy and guard against shocks while creating space for social and development spending to help the people of the country. Finance Minister Muhammed Aurangzeb said this week that Pakistan will continue to seek IMF bailouts if it fails to boost tax revenue.
"The IMF loans are a test for the public," Zardari said, accusing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party of failing to manage the government effectively and promising that his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would take decisive action. "We know how to form and dismantle governments... We will not abandon our people," he added.
PPP leaders have voiced concerns about the lack of cooperation from the Punjab and federal governments. "We are not getting our full rights," a leader complained, pointing out that electoral issues remain unresolved. Zardari assured the leaders of addressing their grievances, stating his commitment to active engagement in Islamabad and Lahore.
'PML-N unable to run govt': Zardari
During the meeting with the President, PPP leaders said provincial and federal governments are not cooperating with the party and it is being ‘denied’ of its rights, the sources privy to the development told ARY News. “We also received votes and the people of our constituencies voters have to be satisfied,” the leaders told Asif Ali Zardari.
“The PML-N is unable to run government: President Zardari. Now I have returned to the ground myself and uplift works will be carried out from Islamabad to Lahore. No political party can compete with the PPP,” the President further said while assuring party leaders that decisive action will be taken.
However, he called upon his party members to resolve issues through dialogue and cooperation. He also urged PPP workers to prepare for intensified efforts ahead, particularly in promoting youth leadership within the party's ranks. Zardari also called for a comprehensive report on the party's organisational structure, emphasising the need to move beyond the politics of closed rooms and take proactive steps forward.
Can PPP overthrow Shehbaz Sharif's government?
There are a total of 336 seats in Pakistan's Parliament, with 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for minorities. In the February elections, independent candidates led by jailed former PM Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won most number of seats - 93. The PML-N had initially won a total of 75 general seats and was joined by nine independents. With the allocation of 19 reserved seats for women and four reserved seats for minorities, the number reached 107. On the other hand, PPP had won 54 general seats and was allocated 12 seats reserved for women and two for minorities.
PTI-backed independents joined the Sunni Ittehad Council to get reserved seats. The SIC has appealed to the Supreme Court about getting its due share in the reserved seats in Parliament and provincial assemblies and a verdict will be announced on Friday. The petition was filed after the top electoral body rejected the SIC's plea for awarding its share in the 70 reserved seats in the National Assembly and another 156 in the four provincial assemblies.
However, the PTI-backed independents fell short of the majority and a coalition government was formed between Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N, PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Balochistan Awami Party and more. It is unclear how PPP can overthrow PML-N based on numbers alone.
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