EXPECTATIONS that the election would put Pakistan on the road to political stability have clearly not been met. The election produced a fractured mandate and triggered one controversy after another, especially by widespread allegations of poll irregularities. Protests against ballot fraud continue to take place across the country and virtually paralysed Balochistan. The claims about rigging made by the commissioner of Rawalpindi will have to be fully investigated, as they have raised further questions about the credibility of elections.

A hung parliament sent the major parties scurrying to cobble a majority. Imran Khan’s PTI, which won the biggest share of seats to emerge as the single largest bloc in the National Assembly, wasn’t accepted as the winner by the other two major parties. Instead, they joined hands to announce that PML-N would form a coalition government headed by Shehbaz Sharif, comprising a motley group of six parties. Initially, PTI pressed its right to form the government and named Omar Ayub as its prime ministerial candidate. But without enough allies, it knew it would not be able to secure the requisite number for a majority. It then announced it would sit as the opposition in the National Assembly.

If all this added up to a confusing picture, there was more to come. To cross the magic number of 134 NA seats in order to stake an initial claim to form the government, PML-N needed the PPP’s backing. It secured this — taking it well over the needed number — but with caveats. The PPP decided not to join the coalition government or cabinet but declared it would support PML-N in forming the government and electing the prime........

© Dawn