ISLAMABAD – With the big three – the Pakistan Muslim League (N), thePakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tipped totake the lion’s share of seats in the Pakistan’s next parliament, smallerparties too cannot be ignored given the role they will play in case of ahung parliament.

The two parties to look out to for, say analysts, are the left-of-centreAwami National Party, and the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Inaddition, smaller parties which have formed alliances like the ethnic-basedGrand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and the religion-based MuttahidaMajlis-e-Amal (MMA) will all be vying for a slice of the action once any ofthe big three looks at forming a government, Hindustan Times has reported.

Analysts say that the PML-N and the PTI are on polar opposites. In betweenstands the PPP, which could end up being a political ally of either party.

“With or without the PPP, the two would need smaller parties to formalliances,” comments political analyst Zafar Mehdi.

Mehdi says that both the MQM and the ANP have allied in the past with thePML-N at one point on another. Neither of these parties has directcompetition with the PML-N but are both fighting against PTI in their hometurf.

For its part, the MQM stands as a fragmented party. It was once Pakistan’sthird largest but after its leader Altaf Hussain was banned by the courtsfor his incendiary speeches while in exile in the UK, the party hasgradually broken up into factions. Despite this, it continues to retain itspopularity in Karachi.

For the PTI, its traditional allies are the GDA, which has already enteredinto an electoral understanding with the PTI and the MMA.

“PTI has been able to woo the rightist parties at the expense of the PML-Nwhich was a natural ally in the past,” comments another analyst ImranShirvanee.

In addition to the smaller parties, it is the independents who will make orbreak the next government in the event of a hung parliament and a coalitiongovernment.

In the past, such candidates have gone to the highest bidder.

These candidates are able to extract the highest concessions, sayobservers. Given Imran Khan’s promise of a clean government, wooing themwould be quite a challenge to his party.

By: Imtiaz Ahmed