Uneasy PTI-BNP-M alliance; a house of cards

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is faced with a tough situation to keep intact the support of its coalition ally Sardar Akhtar Mengal-led Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), which is keen to implement the agreement signed between the two sides before the formation of the federal government.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Media Iftikhar Durrani was hopeful during a chat with The News that Mengal’s “confusion” would be removed during talks with him. The PTI faces an uphill task of convincing the BNP-M chief into shunning his opposition to grant Pakistani citizenship to a set of Afghans and Bengalis, living in Pakistan for years.

Among other factors, Mengal’s rejection of the idea propounded by Prime Minister Imran Khan in categorical terms saying the Afghans and Bengalis born in Pakistan would be given the nationality on humanitarian considerations persuaded him to change his position. Then, the premier said that the final decision would be taken after consultations with all the parliamentary parties. Imran Khan had earlier announced in Karachi that he would immediately implement this decision on reaching Islamabad as the Afghans and Bengalis are suffering a lot for being stateless and they should not remain in this condition any further.

The sixth point of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked by senior leaders of the PTI and BNP-M on August 8 for supporting Imran Khan’s candidature as the prime minister said that all Afghan refugees should be repatriated honourably to their country.

The agreement had delineated the conditions for cooperation between them.The PTIMehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen and Sardar Muhammad Rind and BNP-M leaders Mengal, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini and Agha Hassan Baloch had put their signatures on the accord.

Mengal wants to stick to the MoU and has pressed for its full enforcement. More than once, he has sounded the warning that the BNP-M could withdraw his support from the government if the accord was not implemented in letter and spirit.

Iftikhar Durrani believed that there was some “confusion” in Mengal’s mind. The MoU talked about the Afghan refugees while the prime minister referred to the Afghans and Bengalis born and brought up in Pakistan, he said.

The special assistant said the government would take care of this confusion during negotiations with the BNP-M. He said what Imran Khan stated was a purely humanitarian issue as such Afghans and Bengalis have no rights and facilities like schools and hospitals to avail if their present status continues.

“The prime minister’s argument was that the street crime is on the surge in Karachi because of such stateless people, who need our attention to dispense with their present state. Their second and third generations are living in Pakistan. Even in an ideological state like ours such people need to be given the due rights,” Durrani said.

The special assistant said that the government will seek recommendations from all parliamentary parties and only then will take the final decision.

After Mengal’s opposition, the National Party of Senator Hasil Bizenjo has also dismissed the idea propounded by the prime minister. “The Afghans and Bengalis must be repatriated to their countries,” Bizenjo was quoted as saying. “The move is irresponsible and will be resisted inside and outside of Parliament.”

Mengal is also uneasy over the execution of other points of the agreement particularly its first clause that says “the issue of missing persons should be resolved expeditiously with firm commitment and future occurrences should be avoided. National Action Plan should be implemented in letter and spirit.”

In a recent cabinet meeting, Human Rights Minister Dr Sheerin Mazari is said to have suggested that a law should be enacted for recovery and return of missing persons. However, a senior minister strongly opposed it, which resulted in shooting down of the proposal.

The BNP-M has five members of the National Assembly. This number is crucial for the PTI, which succeeded in forming the government with the support of smaller parties like the BNP-M, Mutahidda Qaumi Movement, Grand National Alliance, Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Awami Muslim League and independents.

All the PTI allies but the BNP have joined the federal cabinet. However, Mengal’s reply was that his party would not accept any cabinet position as it was more concerned about implementation of its agreement with the PTI.