Pakistan ex-PM Nawaz Sharif claims election victory, calls for coalition

Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif on Friday made an impassioned plea to other political parties to join hands with his PML-N party to form a coalition govt

Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif on Friday made an impassioned plea to other political parties to join hands with his PML-N party to form a coalition government after a surprisingly strong performance in the general elections by independent candidates backed by his arch-rival Imran Khan.

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif speaks, flanked by his daughter and politician Maryam Nawaz Sharif and his brother and former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, at the party office of Pakistan Muslim League (N) at Model Town in Lahore, Pakistan, February 9, 2024. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar (REUTERS)

As results trickled in following Thursday’s election, it became clear the PML-N wouldn’t have the numbers to form a government on its own. Addressing a large gathering of supporters in Lahore’s Model Town area, an emotional Sharif said he had tasked his younger brother, former premier Shehbaz Sharif, to reach out to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JuI-F) and other parties regarding the formation of a government of unity.

“The PML-N is the largest single party in the country today after the elections,” he said to loud cheers from his supporters.

“It would have been good if we had got a full mandate and emerged as the majority party and formed government, but even then, we would have invited other parties to join us and walk with us. But since we don’t have such a majority that we can form the government on our own, we will invite other allied parties that have been successful in the election to join us and jointly form a government and jointly get Pakistan out of its difficulties,” he said, speaking in Urdu.

Sharif said Shehbaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar would take these efforts forward by meeting PPP stalwart Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JuI-F, and leaders of parties such as the MQM. “The current circumstances dictate we work together,” he said.

Sharif, 74, returned to Pakistan last October after four years of self-exile due to a raft of cases filed against him, and analysts had widely expected the PML-N to perform well in the election with the blessings of the military establishment. However, reports from Thursday suggested that Sharif had trailed an independent candidate backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the PML-N’s erstwhile bastion of Lahore.

On Friday, the returning officer for Sharif’s constituency was suddenly changed due to an ailment and the PML-N chief subsequently won the election.

Sharif’ and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, widely seen as his political heir, appeared on a balcony at the PML-N headquarters in Lahore to address a large crowd below. People threw rose petals on Sharif’s car as he arrived to give the speech, and he recounted the PML-N’s past achievements in areas such as the economy, defence and security, including the nuclear blasts carried out by his government in 1998.

“Pakistan is hurt and the people want a change for the better,” he said. “It is our duty to bring the country out of crises. We have got the country out of problems in the past too. We respect the mandate of all parties, individuals and independent candidates. We invite them to sit with us to bring a hurt Pakistan out of its problems. Our agenda is only for a peaceful Pakistan.”

He said all institutions, politicians, Parliament, armed forces, judiciary and media must play a positive role to help Pakistan overcome crises. “Everyone must work in harmony, and only then can Pakistan overcome its difficulties,” he said.

Pakistan, Sharif said, needs at least 10 years of stability to address all its problems. “We don’t want to fight with those who want to fight. Pakistan can’t afford any kind of fighting. This is why I am saying repeatedly that we must sit together and decide all these matters and take Pakistan into the 21st century,” he added.

Without naming any country, Sharif also said Pakistan wants better relations with its neighbours and the rest of the world. “We will improve relations with them and resolve all problems with them,” he said.

The PML-N has a history of working with the PPP in times of crisis. After the 2008 election didn’t throw up a decisive victory for either party, the PML-N and the PPP came together to form a short-lived coalition. The PML-N and the PPP also joined hands with minor parties to oust Khan as prime minister in a confidence vote in April 2022.