Parties vie to form government as no clear winner emerges

Imran Khan claims victory, while Nawaz Sharif says his party won most seats and will form government with allies

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI:

With no clear winner emerging as the vote count nears conclusion in the elections held on Thursday, political parties have launched efforts to form a coalition government.

Former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in an address to supporters in Lahore Friday night, claimed clinching most seats as a party and called to form a unity government after contacting allies.

In this regard, his younger brother and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, met Pakistan People's Party leader and former President Asif Zardari to discuss the developments.

Results of 251 out of 266 general seats in the National Assembly show Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party-backed independent candidates are leading with 99 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with 71, PPP 54, and MQM 17, among others.

A party requires 169 seats in the 336-member lower house to form the government with a simple majority.

Incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan also claimed victory in a speech generated through AI, saying his party won a two-thirds majority.

PTI spokesman Rauf Hassan said they will form the federal government, as well as governments in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Read also: Khan loyalists lead, but PML-N claims 'victory'                                                                  

But provisional results showed PTI-backed candidates may not be able to form a government on their own. The PTI has already lost its right over reserved seats, which boosts any party's chances to reach the magic number for political supremacy.

The independent candidates, however, have the option to join any party after the elections.

Reports indicated PTI-backed independents were planning to join the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), a religious party.

But its leader Allama Abbas Nasir told Anadolu that there had been no such discussion. “I met Khan Sahab in jail on Feb. 6 ... We have supported Khan Sahab all along, they have supported us … but the PTI has other options too, and there have been no such discussions at all,” Abbas said over the phone from Islamabad.

“We neither offered them, neither have discussed it. But we are unconditionally supporting Khan Sahab," he added.

His party won one parliament seat, as final results are still trickling in.