Another change of heart: Bilawal offers PM, CM slots to PML-N

PM Imran’s Sindh overture pushes Bilawal to engage Sharifs once again / PML-N confirms offer, says it was mulling the offer

ISLAMABAD: After successive sequences of blame-game against each other’s leadership, the two major opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party — have again started hobnobbing for a new power-sharing formula.

Therein, the PML-N has said that it was mulling the PPP’s offer and would respond shortly.

A source in the PPP has informed Pakistan Today that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Sindh overture has perhaps compelled PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to offer a new olive branch to PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, offering it to overthrow the PTI governments in the centre and in Punjab.

It has been speculated that Bilawal could fear an imminent threat from the PM’s plan to re-enter interior Sindh. Therein, Bilawal has made a lucrative offer to the PML-N if it joins hands to destabilise the PTI’s governments in centre and Punjab despite his recent blaming of the PML-N for destroying the PDM alliance.

“Bilawal has offered the posts of Prime Minister and Chief Minister Punjab to the PML-N. Significant progress has been made in backdoor contacts between Bilawal Bhutto and Shehbaz Sharif. Hence, the PDM parties and PPP have once again mobilized against the government,” the source said.

The source said Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari wants an in-house change in the National and Punjab Assemblies.

“The opposition in the federation and Punjab have required numbers. We have offered the posts of prime minister and chief minister of Punjab to PML-N,” the PPP source said.

The source said that after initial contacts, the opposition is ready to table motions for the in-house change in the center and Punjab.

“Even, some government allies are also with us,” the source said, without elaborating. Asked to explain, the PPP sources claimed that more than 25 members of the government and allies would support the opposition’s move in the National Assembly. Around 31 members of the Punjab Assembly will also support us,” the source said.

“If PML-N has its numbers intact to help bring no-confidence motion, then we will support it. We will support PML-N candidates for the slots of PM and Punjab Chief Minister. The PPP has assured the PML-N that the estranged members of PTI and allied parties would also support the in-house change. If PML-N recruits supporters, the government and allies will support more than 25 members of the National Assembly and 31 members of the Punjab Assembly,” the source added.

A source in the PML-N confirmed the PPP offer, saying that the PML-N leadership has sought time on the PPP’s offer. Responding to the PPP, the PML-N coordinator said that they would respond after consulting the leadership.

Mian Abrar
Mian Abrar
The writer heads Pakistan Today's Islamabad Bureau. He has a special focus on counter-terrorism and inter-state relations in Asia, Asia Pacific and South East Asia regions. He tweets as @mian_abrar and also can be reached at [email protected]

1 COMMENT

  1. I really hope that illiterates and ignorant morons don’t make the majority of voters in 2023. If we assume that out of nowhere any of these parties form a majority government in Islamabad then we are doomed for eternity and the very existence of Pakistan could be in danger.

    If any learned person is reading this comment. Please make sure that you and anyone you know does not vote for these two parties because they think they own this country as well as you and your future generations that’s why playing this “Power sharing” thing.

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