The parties should get down to the business of forming governments, now
Now that the election frenzy is over, results are out and parties know where they stand, it is time to see politics in action. Majority parties, and every other party that believes it has a chance at landing some sort of a deal with the majority party, are busy in wheeling dealing and laying ground work for the next governments in provinces and at the Centre. However, it is the majority parties at their respective strongholds that will determine how things are going to turn out. For its part, the country’s new largest party, the PML-N, has stated that it is willing to work with other parties to sort things out and form government.
The PML-N will have to prove how much it is willing to walk the talk that it has been stressing upon of late. The previous governments of PML-N didn’t make it any easier for other parties to govern in their respective provinces. One can be a bit hopeful, however, as the born again politician cum statesman Nawaz Sharif has pledged to work with all parties this time around. He even went to see Imran Khan at a hospital inviting him to join his efforts for national unification and reconciliatory politics, saying that he respected PTI’s mandate and asked him to form government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where PTI is the majority party.
At the Centre, PML-N has invited JUI-F to join it in government. With both parties leaning right, they could just make it work, provided the PML-N doesn’t strong-arm the JUI-F, or vice a versa. However, things in Sindh are not going to be that easy. MQM has hinted that it is willing to work with the PML-N at the Centre, but in the provincial setup it is poised to sit on the treasury benches with the PPP. PPP, although the majority party there, wants to take its former coalition partner along with the ride. However, where things take a twist is how the PML-N is going to work it out there with the PPP and MQM. The PML-N will also be in a quandary over how to please its central coalition partner, JUI-F, in Balochistan where the PML-N is all set to form government with PKMAP, BNP and PML-Q, but without JUI-F, its government partner at Centre and opposition partner in KP assembly.
Punjab and Sindh are expected to have strong and stable governments, with weaker oppositions, Punjab even more so because of PML-N’s heavy mandate here. Instead of getting involved in politicking, both parties should make full use of this opportunity and perform better than they have in the past governments. KP and Balochistan, on the other hand, will have governments that are expected to face stiff opposition. They will have a tough time, which is actually not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it can serve well in keeping the governments in check and forcing them to serve the public instead of their vested interests.