IANS | 11 Feb, 2024
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif told
his party leaders that former president Asif Zardari has demanded prime
minister's slot for his son and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and major ministerial portfolios, local media
reported.
In a major development, the PPP has agreed to make a
coalition government with the PML-N on the condition that Bilawal will
be made the Prime Minister, The News reported.
Shehbaz told the
party leaders that Zardari offered, in exchange, the PPP would support
the PML-N to make its government in the Punjab province.
The News
has learnt from the PML-N sources that Shehbaz Sharif met Asif Ali
Zardari and Bilawal on Friday night and discussed the future coalition.
Party sources said on Saturday the PML-N leaders had discussed different
options for making the future government in Centre as well as in Punjab
province.
Party sources claimed the PML-N leadership was in a
shock as the election results were completely different from their
expectations. They said Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N
leaders were overconfident and the party leadership didn't pay much
attention to public rallies, door-to-door campaigns, mass public
campaigns and direct contacts with voters, especially on election day,
The News reported.
Party sources added that so far making a
coalition with Zardari was the first option the PML-N was exploring but
didn't want to give away the slot of prime minister.
Sources
claimed the meeting decided that in case the negotiations with PPP
failed, the PML-N would make a coalition government with MQM, JUI-F and
other smaller parties. They further claimed that in this scenario, PML-N
will make Shehbaz Sharif the prime minister and Maryam Nawaz the Chief
Minister of Punjab province, The News reported.