Election 2018: The booming political alliances ahead of polling
Pakistan is a parliamentarian democracy which requires decisive majority to rule.
From Dunya Election Cell
(WebDesk) - Politicians and/or the political parties’ activities of changing loyalties and forming alliances frequently gear up as the elections draw near. These alliances or coalitions are meant to form government after winning an election. Pakistan is a parliamentarian democracy which requires decisive majority or the maximum support in both the houses to gain the power to rule the country.
The Political Alliances formed in past, ahead of elections in past
The history of forming alliances and altering affiliation is dated back to the early seventies of Pakistan politics when the entire opponent political parties with the exceptions of Asghar Khan’s Tehreek-e-Istaqlal and JUP (Norani) gathered together, against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto led Pakistan People’s Party.
First Grant Alliance, the phenomenal Pakistan National Alliance in 1977
First ever grand alliance in Pakistan was surfaced in 1977 in Lahore. The nine major political parties of the country announced to contest election from the platform of their phenomenal Pakistan National Alliance. Pakistan Muslim League, National Democratic Party, Jamat-e-Islami, Jamiat-e-Ulmay-e-Islam, Jamiat-e-Ulma-e-Pakistan, Khaksaar Tehreek Tehreek-e-Istaqlal, Pakistan Democratic Party also Jamhoor-o-Kashmir Muslim Conference formed the alliance. The alliance had taken the then elected government of PPP by storm with the spate of protest across the country against the allegations and accusation of election rigging in polls 1977. This commotion only ended with the martial law of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq.
Head of Functional Muslim League Pir Pagaro talking to media men at the Karachi Press Club in 1977. Photo: Dawn
The known-engineered, Islami Jamhori Ittehad in 1988
Gen. Zia engineered non-party elections were held in 1985. After the death of Gen. Zia, a new-fangled religious parties’ alliance, Islami Jamhori Itehad (IJI) appeared just before general elections 1988.
Nawaz Sharif at Mansoora with JI leadership. Photo: File
IJI was another amalgam of Gen. Zia patronised political and religious parties, mainly against Pakistan People’s Party. IJT was comprised of PML, JI, JUI, National Peoples’ Party, Nizam-e-Mustafa Party, Markazi Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadess, Jamiat-e-Mashaikh Pakistan, Independent group and Hizbul Jihad parties.
Gen. Zia doctored Islami Jamhoori Ittehad. Photo: File
Ahead of elections in 1990, IJI again raised its head but PPP confronted it with its own alliance with TI, TNFJ and PML Qasim faction.
Nawaz Sharif made an alliance with MQM in Sindh against PPP. Photo: File
Also Read: Election 2018: PPP amid the huddle of alliances and changing affiliations
The Alliances raised one after another in 90s
Three new alliance, Mutahida Deeni Muhaz, National democratic alliance and Islami Jamhoori Muhaz, were also emerged before elections in 1993.
All of those alliance dismantled before 1997. However, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan managed to form a grand democratic alliance against Nawaz Sharif.
In 1999, General Pervaiz Musharaf dismissed the Nawaz Sharif led government and taken the charge of the country. Nawaz Sharif led PMLN and Benazir Bhutto led PPP stood together against Gen. Musharaf and for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.
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Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif while signing Charter of Democracy. Photo: File
Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, alliance of religious parties in 2002
In 2002, Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal was first established by the religious scholars of different sectors against Gen. Musharaf’s policy to fight along with US in Afghanistan. Along with MMA, another alliance, National alliance of Sindh Democratic Alliance, Millat Party and National Party, was came into being.
The religious parties Jamat-e-Islami, JUI –F and JUI – S, after being separated from MMA, individually contested elections in 2008 and lost terribly. Likewise, JUI-F and Jamat-e-Islami contested elections separately in 2013.
The first alliance of MMA. Photo: Online
Also Read: Who joins whom? New political alliances & changing loyalties ahead of general election 2018
The New-fangled alliances for elections 2018
As the elections 2018 round the corner, the political fashion of forming an alliance or altering the inclinations, begins to thrive. Politicians despite known for their varying loyalties ahead of general elections, already have stepped out to display their puissance in power politics of Pakistan ahead of general elections 2018. Amid the frenzy of gaining maximum in elections, the process of contrivance, intrigue and manipulation has already fanned the flames of alliance formations, loyalties alteration and winding affiliation. As per the electoral custom of Pakistan, the three major new-fangled alliances emerge ahead of general elections 2018 are:
The disgruntled bunch of Southern Punjab ELECTABLES, Janubi Suba Mahaz
Former MNA Khusro Bakhtiyar, Rana Faraz Noon, Basit Sultan, Alamdar Qureshi, Zeeshan Gurmani, Murtaza Rahim Khar and Tahir Cheema gathered in the name of Janubi Sooba Mahaz led by former interim prime minister Balk Sher mazari and then had shaken hands with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Khusro Bakhtiyar joined hands with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Photo: File
The annoyed and aggressive alliance in rural Sindh, Grand Democratic Alliance
Along with noticeable leaders of Pakistan Muslim League (F), many renowned politicians have joined grand democratic alliance under the leadership of Pir Pagara Syed Sibghatullah Rashdi, against the ruling party of the Sindh for a decade, Pakistan People’s Party.
The key politicians who became the part of the grand alliance include the former chief ministers of sindh Syed Ghous Ali Shah, Mumtaz Bhutto, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, former Interior Minister sindh, Zulfiqar Mirza along with his wife, former speaker National Assembly Fahmida Mirza, former MPA Sardar Abdur Rahim abd former federal minister Ghous Bux Mahar. PPP’s former stalwarts Safdar and Naheed Abbasi, Rasool Bux Paleejo, Abdul Kareem Sheikh, Irfanullah Marwat and Haji Shafi Jamoot also got united on the platform of GDA.
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Fahmida Mirza and Ayaz Latif Paleejo along with Pir Pagara in a GDA presser. Photo: File
The alliance re-allianced, Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal
The religious bigwigs have decided to meet again under one roof. Jamat-e-Islami, JUI (F), J-U-P, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees and Tehreek-e-Jafaria re-formed a political alliance of religious parties. The alliance was also joined by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PML(Q), PML (Z), Majlis-e-Wahdat ul Muslimeen and Awami Muslim League ahead of elections 2018.
The new MMA in a press conference. Photo: File
Written (for web) by Mehreen Fatima
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