As per the Election Commission of Pakistan's data, the cumulative count of general seats secured by the six participating political parties amounts to 152. This unequivocally indicates that the coalition is well on its way to surpassing the essential threshold of 169 seats needed to establish the government. This achievement becomes even more apparent when considering the anticipated addition of 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for minorities, further bolstering their overall tally and solidifying their position to successfully form the government.
Image - Shehbaz Sharif, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Credit - Reuters
Shehbaz Sharif is poised to assume the role of Pakistan's new Prime Minister, leading a coalition composed of prominent political parties. This alliance is anticipated to comfortably secure the requisite majority, bringing an end to conjecture about the administration's future in the wake of elections that yielded a fragmented mandate.
In a pivotal development, Shehbaz Sharif, alongside Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), convened at the residence of Shujaat Hussain from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) for a consultative meeting on Tuesday night. The outcome of this meeting was a unanimous agreement among the leaders to proceed with the formation of the government. This collaborative effort signals a collective commitment to address the challenges ahead and marks a significant step towards the consolidation of power under Shehbaz Sharif's leadership.
In a significant demonstration of unity, Shehbaz Sharif, addressing fellow leaders, emphasized their acceptance of the fractured electoral mandate. He expressed gratitude to Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto for their decision to rally their party's support behind the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), paving the way for a collaborative effort.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N Information Secretary, disclosed that Nawaz Sharif, the party's supremo, had nominated Shehbaz Sharif, his younger brother, aged 72, for the position of the country's Prime Minister. Additionally, Maryam Nawaz, the Senior Vice President of PML-N, was nominated for the role of Punjab's Chief Minister.
Nawaz Sharif extended his thanks to the political parties that supported PML-N, expressing hope that such alliances would steer Pakistan out of its current crises. Shehbaz Sharif, who previously held the position of Prime Minister after the ousting of the Imran Khan-led government in April 2022, asserted that the coalition, comprising PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP, and BAP, enjoyed a substantial majority in Parliament, totaling 152 general seats.
While confident of meeting the required minimum of 169 seats for government formation, Shehbaz acknowledged the greater challenge of reaching the elusive two-thirds majority of 224 in the 336-member National Assembly. He emphasized the need for unity to address the country's pressing issues, particularly the economic challenges.
In response, the PTI, led by the incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, urged the PML-N to gracefully accept defeat and allow their party founder to undertake the responsibility of fixing and healing the nation. The political landscape remains dynamic as these developments unfold, with the coalition poised to take on the formidable task of governing and steering the nation forward.
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