Though Pakistan Muslim League-Q has not decided to join Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, its induction in the federal government has further strengthened the position of ANP-PPP coalition government, headed by Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti. “The decision regarding joining the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will be made on Sunday,” remarked PML-Q provincial president Engineer Amir Muqam when contacted by Pakistan Today. He said such a decision could be made only at the provincial general council meeting.
Earlier, PML-Q Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa general council had opposed joining the federal government. But now when the party’s high command had become part of the PPP-lead coalition government, some of its stalwarts are keenly desirous of being inducted as ministers in the Hoti cabinet. The ANP high command, however, does not seem in a mood to induct PML-QA in the government. Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain has already said, “Being a coalition partner, we are bound to honour the decisions of PPP leadership or their commitments with the leaders of other political forces.” In the light of such remarks, it seems that PML-Q could get ministerial berths from the quota of PPP.
Induction of PML-Q in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa government also could leave bad impacts on the future of both ANP and PML-N. It is believed that PPP and PML-QA could go for seat-to-seat adjustments in next general elections. In that case, it could be hard for the ANP leadership to become third partners of such an alliance. This scribe has learnt through some insiders that two out of six PML-Q MPAs, including a woman, are engaged in hectic efforts for getting ministerial slots at Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa level. The PML-Q has six MPAs in the house of 124.
Wajih-uz-Zaman who had become the provincial president of PML-Likeminded returned to the party fold soon after its induction in the federal cabinet. Moreover, two PML-QA MNAs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sahihzada Mohyuddin from Chitral and Prince Muhammad Nawaz Allayee from Batgram have also announced their return after a courtesy call on Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The stability of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government could be judged from the fact that the opposition has never requisitioned the assembly session.