‘Mandate thieves’: New Pakistan government takes shape amid slew of jabs

The PMLN and the PPP will lead a six-party coalition that has a comfortable majority. But the PTI accuses them of stealing the mandate.

Islamabad, Pakistan — A six-party alliance appears poised to form Pakistan’s next government, after nearly a week of political drama following a fractured mandate delivered by the country’s voters in the February 8 elections.

Led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), which won 75 seats, and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which secured 54 seats, the coalition — announced Tuesday night — will have more than 150 members in the parliament, crossing the required 134 seats for a simple majority in the National Assembly.

However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated on multiple convictions, described the alliance as “mandate thieves” and insisted that a government formed by the grouping of parties would lack “credibility”.

The PTI, which was forced to field independent candidates after losing its electoral symbol days before the vote, emerged as a clear winner: Candidates affiliated with the party won a total of 93 seats, according to the official results.

But the party said it was deprived of a far greater mandate by widespread rigging and the manipulation of results, with its current leader Gohar Ali Khan suggesting they have evidence showing that the PTI won at least 180 seats out of 266 that were voted for.

In the absence of those numbers officially, and under instructions from party leader Khan to not talk to PMLN, PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the PTI on Tuesday also announced that it will attempt to form government in the national assembly by joining hands with the Majlis-e-Wahdat-Muslimeen (MWM).