Informed sources told Business Recorder that PPP's KP President Anwar Saifullah Khan had categorically told the party's central leadership that the provincial chapter was not in favour of any electoral alliance or seat adjustment with the ANP for the upcoming general election.
Despite the fact that President Asif Ali Zardari and ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan enjoy cordial relations, they have not been able to convince their provincial chapters to form an electoral alliance. Insiders maintain that the two parties' leadership had realised that neither ANP nor the PPP voters would accept an alliance and in case of any, another party would benefit from it as their own voters might opt to abstain from casting their votes in the election.
The sources said that the issue also came under discussion in the recent meeting between President Zardari and Asfandyar Wali, but they could not come up with any solution. However, when contacted ANP's central secretary-information Zahid Khan denied that the issue of election alliance between the two parties was part of the agenda of the Thursday's meeting between Zardair and Asfandyar. "In fact, there was no political agenda of the meeting, it was a personal meeting and they did not discuss the election issues," Khan said.
Both the coalition partners are however approaching other political forces like JUI-F for seat adjustment for the general election. The two parties have separately initiated efforts with the JUI-F however no deal has so far been made. Sources said that some senior leaders of the ANP including Ilyas Ahmed Bilour, have also warned the party leadership of possible drawbacks in an election alliance with the PPP. According to sources privy to the development, Bilour argues that a third party will be the ultimate beneficiary of the PPP-ANP election alliance or seat to seat adjustment in the province, as neither ANP nor PPP voters would support the alliance.