ISLAMABAD: Talks are expected to conclude today, Thursday, between the party of Pakistani former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and its allies who have agreed to form a coalition government at the center, with discussions revolving around appointments to important posts in the new set-up and convincing junior partners to join the administration and accept cabinet positions.
Talks were held on Wednesday between special committees set up yesterday, Tuesday, to discuss government formation by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of former President Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). 
On Tuesday, Sharif announced that his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif would be the coalition’s prime minister candidate instead of him. He has also nominated his daughter for the post of chief minister of Punjab, the country’s most populous and richest province.
The PML-N emerged as the largest party in parliament following Feb. 8 elections while the PPP was the second largest. The PPP has backed Shehbaz as the choice for PM but has as yet not committed to joining the government, indicating it would support a minority government from the outside.
“A consultative meeting was held between the committees of Pakistan Peoples Party and Muslim League-N,” the PPP said on X.
“Proposals were made regarding inflation, unemployment and relief from poverty in the country. Pakistan People’s Party and Muslim League-N committees agreed on the need for a stable democratic government to deal with economic, political, law and order and terrorism challenges.”

The two committees will now meet tomorrow, Thursday, to finalize the modalities of government formation including getting PPP to join the administration and take cabinet positions.
Analysts say Pakistan needs a stable government with political authority to be able to take tough decisions to help pull the country out of its economic crisis and fight militancy.
It could also face new political tensions with independent members of parliament, backed by jailed former premier Imran Khan, forming the largest group in the legislature. This group is at loggerheads with the powerful military and alleges that the vote was rigged. The caretaker government and election commission have rejected those accusations. The military chief has called for “maturity and unity” after the polls.
Khan is in jail on charges of corruption and revealing state secrets, and his party was barred from contesting the election, forcing members to run as independents.
“This government cannot survive without Imran Khan, neither can the parliament sustain nor will we [PTI] allow it, neither can democracy work nor will we let it, neither can the state work,” PTI leader Latif Khosa told Geo News in an interview.
“This is the ground reality. Imran Khan was awarded three [prison] sentences, but look at how the people expressed their anger [through the vote] … There will be a backlash on PML-N as Nawaz Sharif has decided to make his brother the prime minister and daughter chief minister.”