ISLAMABAD: More than twenty independents from amongst hundreds of such party-less contestants, who are likely to return, coupled with the winners of smaller parties, are going to play a decisive role in the formation of the next federal government should the May 11 elections throw up a split mandate, writes Tariq Butt.
In the 2008 polls, a total of twenty-three independents originally succeeded. Most of them subsequently went with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led coalition.
At the time, the maximum number of independents from amongst the winners, 13, came from Punjab followed by six from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), two from Balochistan and one each from Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
In the 2008 polls, a total of twenty-three independents originally succeeded. Most of them subsequently went with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led coalition.
At the time, the maximum number of independents from amongst the winners, 13, came from Punjab followed by six from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), two from Balochistan and one each from Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
