Politicians are putting in the sort of hard work which should lead them to forming a government. At the moment, the PML(N) is making the efforts of contacting various other parties as they try to cobble together a government which excludes the PTI independents. The PTI-backed independents are suffering the consequences of their status, because they possess neither anyone able to negotiate, or even a candidate for PM. Another danger has been revealed by the one PTI-backed Punjab independent MPA who has announced his joining of the PML(N). It is one thing for those elected independently without any backing to do so, for that could be seen as a desire to ensure that their vote counted for the reserved seats, but for the PTI members to exploit their independence by shoring up the PML(N) is a truly dangerous trend for the PTI, which may see its ability to manoeuvre, already limited by a host of factors, not least the party chief being behind bars. The PTI should realize that it has won, but has not swept all before it, and has failed to get an absolute majority. If at all it is to form the government, it can only do so with the support of the smaller parties. Three MNAs have already declared their support for the PML(N), though the PTI-backed independents have so far not broken ranks.
The PML(N) has so far connected the PPP and the MQM, the parties next in size after it in the newly elected Parliament. While understandably details are available of either meeting, it has been learnt that the PPP has asked that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari be made PM. This may be a red line, which will make the PPP refuse to join the government, or it may simply be a ploy to make Asif Zardari’s bid for the Presidency a condition. The MQM delegation, which met Mian Nawaz Sharif himself, is said to have come away with an agreement on basic points.
So far, it does not seem that the negotiations included any content on how the country is to be run, and how the issues plaguing the economy are to be tackled. Those issues are more crucial to the prospective government’s performance than who fills which office, or whose personal ambitions are slaked by returning to which position. If politicians do not rise above themselves at this juncture, they will only have themselves to blame if they further lose popularity.
