By IRNA;,
Islamabad: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has involved himself in a process to save the ruling coalition after two allies have quit federal cabinet.
Political observers say if Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI) join the opposition the government will loose the majority in the parliament.
MQM has been at odds with the PPP over political violence in Karachi, tax reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund, corruption and inflation.
With the PPP’s coalition numbering 185 seats in the 342-member national assembly, just 13 more than the 172 required for a majority, any withdrawal of MQM’s 25 lawmakers could bring down the government.
Pakistan Muslim League-N chief and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif whose party quit the ruling coalition last year is critical at the policies of the government.
He accuses President Asif Ali Zardari of pursuing the policies of former military President Pervez Musharraf.
Just two weeks ago, the country’s religious party Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI) walked out of the government, costing the coalition the support of seven lawmakers.
The JUI-F quit PPP-led coalition government in protest against the removal of Minister Mr Swati and decided to sit on the opposition benches.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has requested Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to rejoin the coalition government. However, the JUI-F chief rejected the request and said his party had ratified the move and would not change its stance in the current circumstances.
Meanwhile, Fazlur Rehman’s aide, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, said JUI-F would only return to the government if President Zardari sacked Prime Minister Gilani.
Analysts say the two parties are aware of the PPP’s unpopularity and are positioning themselves for potential early elections.
President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the reservations expressed by the MQM during recent meeting with its delegations with him were being addressed and the policy of reconciliation and taking on board all stake holders will continue as before.
The President expressed the hope that the misunderstanding between the coalition partners would soon be resolved.
“Misunderstandings between coalition partners do arise”, the President said, and added that efforts must be made to remove them and not let them linger to harm the hard earned political stability in any way.
The President said that general elections will be held on time after two years and asked the party legislators to be ready to face the voters when the time came on the basis of their performance.
On the other hand media reports say that Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F have decided to work to exert maximum pressure on the PPP for acceptance of their demands.
Opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has already clarified that his party would not join the federal government in case of MQM and JUI-F’s separation from the coalition government.
He has said that government should give full attention to public issues and provide relief to the common man adding that the government still not fulfilled a single promise made to the nation.
Analysts say that Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza’s offer to step down is most likely to be accepted to pave the way for the MQM to rejoin the fold.
The public is, not amused by these wheeling-dealings, sensing full well that they are not in any way going to provide relief to its problems.
It is believed that the PPP could seek new allies to form another coalition — or it could end up facing a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister.
Political observers say if the government falls, the biggest beneficiary would likely be Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which would be expected to win the most seats in general elections.