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PML-N will form next govt, US diplomat tells party leader
Ansar Abbasi
Friday, March 09, 2012
From Print Edition
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ISLAMABAD: The US embassy in Islamabad has smartly conveyed it to Mian Nawaz Sharif, through one of his party leaders, that the PML-N would form the next government possibly by joining hands with the MQM, PTI or the religious parties, a PML leader has claimed.
When contacted, the US embassy denied having predicted the outcome of the next general elections but the concerned PML-N leader confirmed to The News that the embassys chief political analyst Jonathan G Pratt had told him that the PML-N would emerge as the largest party in the next elections.
What Jonathan G Pratt had told the PML-N leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nawabzada Arsallah Khan Hoti, has already been conveyed to Mian Nawaz Sharif. A credible source said that after having met Jonathan G Pratt last week in Islamabad, Hoti wrote a letter to Mian Nawaz Sharif to convey the assessment of the US embassy about the outcome of the next elections and the future government.
The source said, and Hoti confirmed, that Pratt told him that the outcome of the next elections as they see would be like the PML-N getting 100 seats, PPP around 80 seats, MQM around 25, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf around 35, ANP around eight seats whereas all the religious parties would bag in total 20 seats. The remaining seats, as per Hotis message to Nawaz Sharif, would be shared among other smaller parties and independent members of the national assembly.
Jonathan Pratt is also reported to have said that according to their understanding the next government would be formed by the PML-N with the possible support of the MQM, PTI or the religious parties. Interestingly, in todays situation, PTI, MQM and even the religious parties are all at odd with the Nawaz league.
Pratt is also said to have told Hoti that the future N-government would be enjoying a thin majority. The US embassy had, however, not much high view about Imran Khan whereas Jonathan Pratt was reported to have condemned the PPP and the ANP as corrupt and for having failed to ensure good governance. When approached with pointed questions, the US embassy spokesman Mark Stroh denied that the embassys chief political counsellor gave any such assessment.
In his written reply, he said: The suggestion that anyone can predict the outcome of the general elections is ridiculous. We made no such assessment. We do not know which parties will win how many seats. The United States does not favour any party.
We have no favourite or preferred candidate or party in the upcoming elections. The United States wishes to see free and fair elections conducted in a transparent manner in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan and Pakistans electoral regulations.
US Embassy officials meet with representatives of all political parties as well as civil society groups and various other Pakistani institutions, but we do not support one political party in favour of any other.
Arsallah Hoti when contacted first expressed his surprise on how this information had reached the media. Later he confirmed that as he was about to leave, Jonathan Pratt told him that according to the information they (embassy) had gathered the PML-N would form the next government and would win around 100 seats.
He said that the US embassy official had volunteered to share this with him. Later, he confirmed that he has conveyed this information to his party leader and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
