Pakistan yet to witness traditional elections’ hustle and bustle

Although political leaders are struggling to enter into new alliances and seat adjustment ahead of the parliamentary polls, tradition electioneering and hustle and bustle have yet to pick up.

The tenure of the current National Assembly four provincial assemblies will complete on March 17. A caretaker government will be installed for two months to supervise elections.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chief, Nawaz Sharif, has just wrapped up his Dubai trip and succeeded to formalize his seat adjustment plan with the PML-Like-minded. Sharif and the Like-minded leader, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, appeared jointly at a press encounter in Dubai.

The PML-N chief also struck a deal with the Jamiat ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP-Noorani), Awais Noorani, also in Dubai.

Both decisions are likely to give a little boost to the PML-N in Sindh, still the stronghold of Pakistan Peoples Party. The PML-N has already hinted a seat adjustment with the nationalist groups in Sindh.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif says that his party is near to seat adjustment agreements with nationalist groups in Balochistan too.

The PML-N leaders are using official functions in Punjab to unleash criticism at the PPP. Chief Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, used his speech at a distribution of laptops ceremony in Sargodha on Wednesday, to lash out at the PPP leaders.

Political analysts are of the view that the PML-N will be in a sound position in Punjab in view of the results in the recent by-polls earlier this month. However, it will face a challenge due to the PPP alliance with the PML-Q, according to some analysts.

On the other hand, the PPP succeeded to break a PML-N, MNA Sardar Mushtaq from Haripur, the traditional stronghold of Pakistan Muslim League. Mushtaq quit the PML-N following reports that his rival former Speaker National Assembly, Gauhar Ayub, is set to join the PML-N.

The PPP has announced to go into elections without alliance with any other party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Awami National Party (ANP) has made a similar decision. Both are coalition partner in the province and the center. ANP says it will give surprising results in the elections because of its performance.

PPP is set to make the upcoming 5^th death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto as a big political show as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will formally begin his political life, the PPP leaders say.

Chairman Pakistan Tehrike-Insaf, Imran Khan, is currently addressing big rallies that could be seen as part of his party’s election campaign.

Khan attracts good crowds and political observers say PTI could secure several seats but will not be in a strong position to win many seats after some prominent personalities recently quit his part just months after they had joined him.

The PPP and the MQM leaders have given strong signals to support each other in elections and to keep on their alliance after the elections.

Islamic parties, which enjoy some support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, are facing rift as Jamaat-e-Islami has not yet decided to join the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal or MMA.

Maulana Fazal ur Rehman of JUI-F has revived MMA minus Jamaat but political watchers say the alliance could not show good results unless the MMA of 2002 is revived.

The role of nationalist and small parties will be a key in the coming elections and mainstream parties are struggling to win their backing in the elections.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=36394

Posted by Tahir Khan on Dec 20 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.