A fresh contact between two mainstream right-wing parties – Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) – on Friday moved towards the possibility of seat-adjustment, as they are set to hold a formal meeting on the issue in the next two days, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The PTI and Bahawalpur Awami National Party (BNAP) have already agreed to seat-adjustment across Bahawalpur Division – maximising the chances of a win-win situation for both.
If the PTI and JI agree on seat-adjustment, both parties would be able to get rid of an impression of political isolation, as the PML-N has already made alliances and seat-adjustment with many local and nationalist parties across the country.
A source privy to the development said Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of the PTI had called Liaquat Baloch and said both parties would be meeting soon in Lahore.
“A meeting is likely either on Saturday or Sunday to discuss the matter in detail,” the source said, adding that both leaders were optimistic about a possible cooperation for the upcoming polls.
“The PTI leadership had put preconditions to the JI asking that it would not allow the JI any sort of seat-adjustment with those political outfits which have been a part of the ruling coalitions either in the Centre or in the provinces. This precondition had endangered the PTI’s seat-adjustment with chances with the JI, as it was involved in talks with the PML-N for seat adjustment. However, the ice-melting has started and now both sides are willing to sit down for talks,” the source added.
When contacted, JI Secretary-General Liaquat Baloch confirmed that a formal contact between the PTI and the PML-N had been made and soon both sides would be holding a meeting to discuss the matter.
“Yes we are talking to both the parties – the PTI and the PML-N. But we agree to the notion of the PTI that seat-adjustment could be reached with only one party and we would go for it either with the PTI or the PML-N. This arrangement would be countrywide and we are ready to take up the matter,” he added.
Asked whether the JI still was ready to go for seat adjustment with the PML-N as Nawaz Sharif had ditched the JI leadership in year 2007 when Nawaz made a solo flight, Baloch said a lot of time had passed.
Interestingly, the BNAP has not distanced itself from PML-Q yet, which has raised many an eyebrow within the PTI on how would Abbasis carry on his alliance with two parties with different ideologies.
A senior PTI leader told Pakistan Today that BNAP would have to end its alliance with the PML-Q so that the process of seat adjustment could be run smoothly. The PML-Q has been a coalition partner of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the Centre and provinces. In the first week of March, PML-Q and BNAP had agreed to a seat adjustment formula for three districts in Southern Punjab.
“How is it possible for the PTI to make an alliance with any party which is associated with the forces of status quo despite knowing that Imran Khan has time and again announced publicly that his party will not make alliance with any of the parties that enjoyed government,” the PTI leader said.
“Despite strong feelings among the people of Southern Punjab against the PPP-led government, Abbasi is reluctant to part ways with the PML-Q,” the PTI leader said. He added that Abbasi sooner or later would have to choose between the PTI and the PML-Q.
BNAP spokesman Mian Raffatur Rehman Rafay said his party’s seat adjustment with PML-Q would remain intact along with their alliance with the PTI.