With the PPP gaining a comfortable majority of 18 seats from 29 constituencies in the AJK elections, the party is now poised to rule the second region under Pakistan’s control. Elections on four seats have been postponed but irrespective of who finally wins these seats, the PPP’s majority would not be affected. Leading coalition governments at the federal level and in Sindh and Balochistan, and being a part of the ANP-led alliance in NWFP, the PPP has become the country’s most powerful parliamentary party. The PPP’s policy of reconciliation has led to surmises about the possibility of its forming a coalition government in AJK also, presumably with the Muslim Conference which has gained a third position after the PML(N).
The AJK elections have embittered PPP’s relations with the MQM leadership which has levelled charges of rigging against it. The PPP had allegedly demanded that the MQM surrendered a seat to its principle coalition partner. The MQM also resented the government’s decision to postpone the elections on a seat in Karachi on grounds of bad law and order situation. Conscious of the shift in balance of forces at the federal level after the inclusion of the PML(Q) in the ruling coalition, Altaf Hussain has announced to part ways with the PPP. But this time the PPP has little reason to fear as unlike before, it is no more crucially dependent on MQM’s support. It is in fact the other way round now. A news item regarding the possibility of Zardari appointing Zulfiqar Mirza as Sindh Chief Minister, who was removed from the office of Sindh Home Minister at MQM’s insistence, is bound to be seen by the party as a veiled reminder of the sea change.
Despite Pakistan’s avowed devotion to the Kashmir’s cause, the pace of social development in AJK has been slow and unsatisfactory. Now that the party ruling the federation is going to form a government in Muzaffarabad, one expects it to introduce wide ranging reforms. It would also not be unexpected that the federal government now works more proactively with India for CBMs to further facilitate travel and trade between the two parts of Kashmir.
