SUBJECT: POLITICAL SCIENCE VI

COURSE: BA LLB SEMESTER V (NON-CBCS)

TEACHER: MS. DEEPIKA GAHATRAJ

MODULE II,

PARTY SYSTEM OF PAKISTAN (CONTINUATION)

(iv) The -Quaid (PML-Q) was the third-largest party in the 2008-2013 parliament, with 54 seats in the National Assembly. The PML-Q began its time in the opposition, but by the end of the last government's term it had switched to the Treasury benches, helping the PPP to maintain its coalition and being rewarded with leadership positions for Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, a senior PML-Q leader, and Chaudhry , the PML-Q's president.

Formed in 2002, the PML-Q is a centre-right party drawn primarily from defectors from the rival PML-N who chose to support General in the aftermath of his coup against the democratically elected government. The party led the government under Musharraf, with members Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and all serving as prime ministers under Musharraf's presidency.

The 2008 elections, occurring in the midst of mass anti-Musharraf sentiment, a spiralling inflation rate and failing economic policies, saw the PML-Q defeated in many constituencies in favour of PML-N and PPP candidates. It held on to key constituencies in its stronghold of Punjab, however, and remained a force in parliament, whether in opposition or government.

In 2013, the PML-Q will once again be focusing on Punjab and Balochistan provinces, where it has had strong showings in the past. The party is not expected to be able to form a government on its own, but would be a key player in terms of building a coalition for whichever party emerges as the leader after the polls.

(v) The Pakistan People's Party (PPP): In 2018 elections, for the first time in history the party was able to neither form the government nor emerge as the largest party in opposition. The party conceded defeat during the 2013 general election, largely due to anti-incumbent sentiment amongst voters and a swell in support following the assassination of party leader and former prime minister .

1 Founded in 1967 by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir's father, the PPP positions itself as a secular, centre-left socialist party, with a strong emphasis on using public-sector expenditure as a way to address income and social disparities. The party has been voted into power four times since its inception (1977, 1988, 1993 and 2008), but this last term was the first time it completed its full five-year term in office - making it the first Pakistani civilian-led government to do so.

Since its formation, the PPP has been a major political player, relying on a combination of pro-poor rhetoric and inspirational leadership (primarily in the form of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto - both of whom were killed while carrying out political activities and are considered martyrs by the PPP faithful). The party, to many voters, represents a force that stands against the country's powerful military and civilian establishment - even if that analysis does not stand up to substantive scrutiny when examining the PPP's stints in government.

This election, however, the party faces rampant anti-incumbent sentiment of its own, as suffer from high levels of unemployment, inflation, a power crisis and a complex and deteriorating security situation that the PPP-led government appeared powerless to address. The party has also been perennially dogged by corruption allegations - most notably those aimed at its leader, President . There is also some dissatisfaction among the PPP cadre as to how Zardari, Bhutto's widower, has run the party since her death, sidelining many party stalwarts and installing people loyal to him in key positions. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, his 24-year-old son, has been appointed the party chairman, continuing the legacy of Bhutto's leading the party. It remains to be seen what role, however, the young Bhutto-Zardari plays in the election campaign.

The party is expected to hold sway in its traditional stronghold of Sindh province, but will face stiff competition in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

(vi) The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI, or Movement for Justice) is a centrist Pakistani political party and current ruling party of Pakistan. Led by , this party was formed in 1996, after Khan retired following a remarkably successful career as an international cricketer. The party's aim was primarily to wipe out corruption and tackle ineffective governance in a country where both have crippled attempts at government service delivery.

The PTI was largely politically irrelevant for the first decade or so of its existence, but shot to prominence in 2012 when it held massive political rallies in , Karachi and elsewhere. 2 The party's platform remains largely unchanged: Khan promises that he will wipe out “major corruption” within the party's first 90 days in office, and its manifesto states that it is built on an “anti-status quo” foundation. The party also says that it will declare a “national emergency” on energy-sector reform, expenditure reform, revenue collection and development of human capital indicators. Khan has promised to establish an “Islamic welfare state” in several campaign speeches. The party's policy on homegrown militancy advocates an approach based on dialogue with those elements wishing to lay down their arms and a disengagement from the country's current alliance with the United States, citing the partnership as one of the key causes of militancy against the Pakistani state.

PTI is a major political party along with PML-N and PPP and largest party in terms of representation in National Assembly as of the 2018 Pakistani general election. With over 10 million members in Pakistan and abroad, it claims to be Pakistan's largest party by primary membership and among largest political parties in world.

3