Islamabad/ Lahore: With independent candidates winning 92 seats (mostly PTI-backed), and no party securing a majority, Pakistan seemed poised for a hung Parliament. To form a government, 133 seats in the National Assembly are needed.
Former PM Nawaz Sharif urged all parties to form a unity government to stabilize Pakistan.
Speaking to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters at the party’s central secretariat in Lahore, the 74-year-old Sharif emphasized his party’s respect for the mandates of all parties, including those of independent candidates backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
As per the latest data from the Election Commission, results for 224 out of 265 constituencies were announced, with independent candidates (mostly supported by PTI) winning 92 seats, PML-N securing 63, and PPP 50. Smaller parties clinched 19 seats.
A party needs to win 133 out of 265 seats in the National Assembly to form a government. The total seats required for a simple majority are 169 out of 336, including reserved slots for women and minorities. One seat’s election was postponed due to a candidate’s demise. Continued on P4Sharif, altering his previous stance of not forming alliances with any party, emphasized the necessity for political parties to collaborate and establish a government to address Pakistan’s challenges. He asserted that Pakistan cannot afford repeated elections and highlighted his party’s emergence as the largest winner in the recent polls.
He urged all parties to come together for the nation’s betterment and called for harmony among institutions to navigate Pakistan out of its difficulties.
In what he termed a “victory speech,” Sharif underscored the importance of stability for at least a decade and expressed his desire to foster friendly relations with neighboring countries.
Sharif tasked his younger brother and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif with engaging with PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Fazlur Rehman, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui for coalition talks.
Meanwhile, PPP Co-chairman Zardari arrived in Lahore and is expected to meet PML-N leadership regarding government formation.
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan ruled out alliances with PPP and PML-N, asserting PTI’s capability to form a government independently.
The Election Commission faced criticism for the delayed announcement of results, which led to speculations of foul play. Authorities attributed the delay to communication issues resulting from a mobile service shutdown to ensure peaceful elections.