PTI-backed candidates in lead,
Nawaz wants to form coalition
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate for prime minister’s slot, Nawaz Sharif, Friday invited all the parties who have secured seats in the February 8 general elections to join his party and form a government in the coming days.
“I have tasked Shehbaz Sharif to meet Fazlur Rehman, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Asif Ali Zardari,” Nawaz told a charged crowd in Lahore’s Model Town, which was dubbed as his “victory speech”, expressing his desire to form a unity government.
However, as the results trickle in, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates are leading with more than 90 seats to their name, while the PML-N is trailing behind. The party’s top leaders, on the contrary, said that their candidates have won a majority of the seats and will form government in the centre.
The three-time former premier, who ended his self-imposed exile in October last year, urged all the national institutions and politicians to play a positive role in steering the country out of the ongoing crises.
Referring to the country’s fragile economy, Nawaz said: “At least 10 years are needed for bringing stability to the country.” He said that it was the responsibility of the PML-N to steer the country out of the crises.
The PML-N supremo said that they respect the mandate of all the political parties and independent candidates, and invited them to sit with the former ruling party for the sake of the country “Our sole agenda is a prosperous Pakistan,” he added.
Hinting at forming a collation government, the PML-N top leader said that the party’s President Shehbaz Sharif would meet PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, JUI-F Chief Fazalur Rehman, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other leaders today.
Nawaz Sharif said it is very important for one party to get full mandate in the election so that it does not need to depend on others. Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the former prime minister said the party came to power and destroyed the country and ruined society.
He said Maryam Nawaz supported the party in bad times while Shehbaz Sharif served the party well. “We served jails terms. Children like Hamza and Maryam also spent time in jails. We have been looking for this day after offering all sacrifices.”
He asserted that it is the collective responsibility of all parties to join forces and navigate Pakistan out of its current crisis. “Not just my or Ishaq Dar’s responsibility… It is everyone’s Pakistan. If we all work together, only then will Pakistan get out of this crisis,” he emphasised.
Expressing the need for a stable Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif stated, “Pakistan needed at least 10 years of stability. Those who are in the mood for confrontation, I want to tell them we don’t want any fight… Pakistan cannot afford it. We all must sit together and sort issues out and take Pakistan to the 21st century, but due to our mistake, we could not do that earlier.”
However, amidst ongoing result updates, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates are leading with more than 100 seats, while the PML-N is trailing.
Despite this, PML-N leaders remain confident, asserting that their candidates have secured the majority of seats and are poised to form the government at the center. The political landscape in Pakistan continues to evolve as negotiations for coalition-building unfold.
The independent candidates backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) are leading with 52 seats, according to the provincial results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) so far, Dawn reported.
The ECP has released the provincial results for 120 out of 266 seats in the National Assembly.
While PTI-backed independent candidates are leading with 52 seats, PML-N is a close second with 40 seats, followed by the PPP with 19 seats.
Notably, Imran Khan was disqualified from contesting the elections due to criminal convictions. The electoral symbol of the PTI was also taken away by the ECP in a ruling later backed by the Pakistan apex court. As a result, the PTI leaders and supporters contested as independent candidates.