PPP, PML-N seal alliance to jointly contest by-polls after PTI’s MPs disqualifications

• Railways Minister says both parties agree on seat-adjustment formula based on runner-up positions in previous elections
• PPP eyes six key constituencies in Punjab, leaders stress unity
• Raja Parvez Ashraf emphasizes ‘understanding was reached after consultations between the top leadership of both parties’

ISLAMABAD:In a significant political development, the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday announced they will jointly contest the upcoming by-elections to seats that fell vacant after the disqualification of 12 PTI lawmakers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The decision was formally announced at a press conference in Islamabad by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, flanked by senior PPP leaders-Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Nayyar Bukhari.

The Vacant Seats

The seats fell vacant after PTI’s 12 lawmakers were disqualified in Punjab by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following their conviction in the May 9 (2023) cases. The disqualified lawmakers hailed from eight National Assembly and four Punjab Assembly constituencies.

The PPP has already expressed interest in contesting at least six key constituencies—NA-143 and PP-203 (Sahiwal), NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan), and NA-96, NA-104, and PP-98 (Faisalabad)—and has sought applications from aspirants for party tickets.

Outlining the “seat adjustment formula” strategy, Abbasi said the two coalition partners had agreed on a “predetermined formula,” saying where a PPP candidate was runner-up in the 2018 general elections, the PML-N will back them.

Conversely, where a PML-N candidate was runner-up, the PPP will support them, he added.

Speaking at the presser, PPP’s Raja Parvez Ashraf explained, “This will ensure no confusion for voters or workers,” emphasizing the “understanding was reached after consultations between the top leadership of both parties.”

“We want to tell our workers and the whole of Pakistan that we are a democracy,” Abbasi said, stressing that the alliance aimed to show political unity at a time when PTI is facing legal and political challenges.

Ashraf, the former prime minister, said both parties had reached “full agreement” under the directions of their leaders. “Now there will be no more confusion between us or our candidates,” he added.

Abbasi further emphasized that the two parties were not just election allies but partners in governance, saying, “Our leadership makes intelligent decisions. We ensure that in every forum, it is clear that we are allies.”

The announcement comes against the backdrop of the ruling coalition’s efforts to consolidate political space after PTI’s recent disqualifications and internal divisions. Analysts say the PPP-PML-N seat adjustment strategy is designed not only to minimize vote splitting but also to test-run a working electoral partnership ahead of the next general elections.

During the press conference, Abbasi also highlighted inter-provincial solidarity, noting that “Sindh and Punjab wish each other well, while we also extend positive wishes to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, especially after the recent floods in the north.”

Both the ruling coalition parties claimed the move was an attempt to project stability and unity at a time when Pakistan’s political landscape remains polarized.