Imran Khan stands firm: No alliances amid post-election deadlock
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After securing the majority of seats in the recent elections in Pakistan, Imran Khan has categorically ruled out the option of allying with his political adversaries.
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Imran Khan is pictured at a lawyers' convention in Lahore on September 21, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)
Two major political parties in Pakistan dismissed the idea of forming alliances, on Tuesday, following an inconclusive election. This raises the potential for either a minority government or an extended period of negotiations before a coalition is established.
Candidates affiliated with imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured the majority of seats in Thursday's election while running independently. However, Khan has rejected the possibility of forming an alliance with his political rivals.
The outcome prevented the army-supported Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from attaining a majority for governance, as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), their primary coalition ally in the previous administration, came in third.
Speaking in Adiala Jail, where he has been incarcerated since his arrest in August, Khan accused both the PML-N and PPP of engaging in corrupt practices.
"We will neither sit with the PML-N nor with the PPP," Khan conveyed in a message to a small group of reporters who were present to cover a procedural hearing at the prison located outside the capital, Islamabad.
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Numerous accusations of vote manipulation and result tampering have surfaced, particularly after the authorities shut down the country's mobile phone network on election day and the counting process extended beyond 24 hours.
"We are going to challenge the election rigging in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and we will consider the alliance later," said Khan.
The comments mark one of Khan's initial public statements since the election five days ago, which proved favorable for his PTI party, despite facing significant challenges.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of the PPP, stated on Tuesday that his party is not inclined to form a new alliance with the PML-N. However, he expressed willingness to support a government formed by the PML-N on specific issues.
"We will support a political party without becoming part of the government," Bhutto Zardari said.
"But we will support the votes of prime ministership, budget, and legislation on an issue-to-issue basis," he said.
Bhutto Zardari, the son of the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari, expressed his desire to witness his father assume the presidency once again.
"And I am not saying this because he is my father. I am saying this because the country is in a huge crisis at the moment and if anyone has the capacity to douse this fire, it is Asif Ali Zardari," he said.
The PML-N, led by three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, previously indicated its willingness to establish a coalition government despite initial expectations of winning a significant portion of votes in the National Assembly.
Imran Khan, ousted through a vote of no confidence in 2022, embarked on a defiant campaign against the military establishment, facing numerous legal challenges and convictions to prevent his return to power. The PTI, under Khan's leadership, experienced extensive arrests of senior leaders and was excluded from appearing on ballot papers in what analysts believe was a premeditated crackdown orchestrated by the military.
Independent candidates aligned with Khan managed to secure approximately 90 of the 266 parliamentary seats in Pakistan. PTI claims that its electoral performance would have been higher. PTI has primarily focused on questioning the election's legitimacy rather than engaging with other political parties.
Meanwhile, the PML-N and PPP had been in discussions about forming a coalition government, but Bhutto Zardari announced on Tuesday that his party decided against joining a coalition. This decision could potentially result in a minority government handling the economic challenges facing Pakistan. However, Shehbaz Sharif, the previous Prime Minister and Nawaz's brother, stated on Tuesday that the PML-N remains open to negotiations with other parties.
"We've had two meetings (with PPP), and there may be a few more. Once a decision is reached, the nation will be informed," he said during a news conference in Lahore.
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