Efforts to form coalition government in Pakistan intensify.
Islamabad: After a fractured mandate emerged in Pakistan’s general elections, political parties on Sunday intensified their efforts to form a coalition government. Voting for the general elections in Pakistan took place on Thursday. Pakistan’s Election Commission on Sunday declared the final results of the general elections, with independent candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party winning 101 seats. At the same time, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has technically emerged as the largest party in the Parliament by winning 75 seats.
Bilawal Zardari Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) got 54 seats, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), an alliance of Urdu-speaking people who came from India during partition, got 17 seats. Other small parties won the remaining 12 seats. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared the results of 264 seats out of 265 for which elections were held. The unusual delay in the announcement of election results led to ruckus and protests across the country by many parties. The result of NA-88 seat in Khushab of Punjab province was withheld by ECP due to complaints of fraud and will be declared after redressal of the grievances of the victims.
Imran’s independent candidates got 101 seats
The election on one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate. Independent candidates have secured 101 seats in the National Assembly. Most of these were supported by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A party will need 133 seats to form the government. Overall, 169 seats out of 336 are required to achieve a simple majority, including seats reserved for women and minorities. Nawaz Sharif on Saturday called for forming a coalition government to take Pakistan out of its current difficulties. Sharif is believed to have the support of the country’s powerful army.
Former PM Shahbaz Sharif is preparing equations for his brother Nawaz
PML-N chief Sharif has entrusted the responsibility of holding talks with the parties to his younger brother and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has met senior PPP leaders. A delegation of MQM-P is in Lahore and held a meeting with Shehbaz. The MQM delegation is being led by Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other party leaders are also participating in the meeting. Shahbaz said, “Government formation will be discussed in the meeting.” MQM-P leader Haider Rizvi told ‘Geo News’ in an interview that his party would be more comfortable with PML-N than PPP or other parties. As opposed to “The two parties have not competed in Karachi.”
Meanwhile, ‘PTI’ leader Gauhar Khan also claimed that his party will form the government. However, analysts believe that this is not possible. ‘Express Tribune’ quoted Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of ‘Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency’ (PILDAT) in its news as saying that ‘PTI’ is apparently going to form the government without forming an alliance with PML-N or other major political parties. While the PPP does not have the required numbers to claim a majority in the lower house of parliament. (Language)
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