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Pakistan faces political crisis as coalition partner quits

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad,Dec 15, IRNA -- A major partner in the ruling coalition of Pakistan Peoples Party's government Tuesday announced that it is parting ways with the government after the Prime Minister sacked a federal minister of the party.

The Jamiat ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) said that two ministers of the party have resigned after the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani dismissed Minister for Information Technology Azam Khan Swati.

Swati was sacked after he accused Minister of Religious Affairs of corruption in the Hajj affairs.

The JUI-F has nine members in the 340-member National Assembly, lower house of the parliament and 11 senators in the 100-member Senate, upper house of the parliament.

The decision has multiplied difficulties of the government as it is also facing stiff opposition from coalition partners in approval of a tax agreed with the International Monitory Funds (IMF).

Political commentator say that there is no immediate threat to the government as it still enjoys majority in the parliament.

But some believe that the ruling Peoples Party may loose majority in the parliament and the country may head to snap polls.

Chief of JUI-F, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, told reporters in Islamabad that the Prime Minister had not informed on the dismissal of his party’s Minister.

President Asif Ali Zardari sent his advisor Qayyum Soomro to the JUF chief to convince him to withdraw his decision.

Fazal told reporters that his party had joined the ruling coalition as policy of consensus.

“We are no more allies of the government,” he said, adding, “The Prime Minister has taken a unilateral decision to sack our minister and it is now impossible for JUI to remain with the government,” Fazal said

Local media reported that President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani had tried to call the JUI leader but he did not attend their calls.

JUI-F had three ministers in the federal cabinet – Minister for Tourism Atta-ur-Rehman, Minister for Housing Rehmatullah Kakar and Minister for Information Technology Azam Khan Swat.

The JUI-F is also coalition partner in the government in southwestern Balochistan province but a senior minister of the party Maulana Abdul Wasi says that the party will remain part of the provincial government.