ISLAMABAD: A senior member of the Karachi-based political party Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) this week clarified it would be part of the federal cabinet, confirming that there was no “deadlock” with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s party on talks related to forming the next government. 

The MQM-P emerged as the third largest political party in the country after securing 17 National Assembly seats in the inconclusive Feb. 8 elections. While independent candidates backed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party form the largest group in the parliament after winning over 90 seats, they cannot form the government on their own as they contested the polls as independents and not members of the party. 

Ex-PM Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) bagged 75 and 54 seats respectively. Both announced earlier this month they would join hands to form a coalition government by jointly supporting ex-PM Sharif’s younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, as their candidate for prime minister and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari for president. 

“We have decided to support the government and we have agreed that we will be part of the government,” Kamal told Geo News on Sunday night. “We will also take ministries and governorship.”

Kamal said the MQM-P wanted to head certain departments and ministries through which it could serve people in its constituencies and in the southern Sindh province. He rejected reports there was a deadlock between the PML-N and the MQM-P on the power-sharing formula. 

“There is no deadlock [between the MQM-P and the PML-N],” Kamal said. “Our last meeting was a great one.”

The formation of the next government is expected to end political uncertainty, which has shrouded Pakistan since April 2022 when ex-PM Khan was ousted from office via a parliamentary vote. 

Pakistan is facing an economic crisis, with dwindling foreign currency reserves that will be further strained by a $1 billion bond payment due in two months, while its $3 billion funding program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expires on April 12.

A new government is expected to quickly take necessary steps on various economic issues, for instance regarding the governance of state-owned enterprises to complete the last remaining review of the current $3 billion IMF Standby Arrangement — a bridge loan that helped pull the country back from the brink of default.