File photo of Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: AFP
The move could help bring the nationalists in Balochistan, who have long-held grievances against the central government, into the mainstream of Pakistani politics.
"We are in talks with all nationalist parties, they are our priority and we hope that we will form a coalition government with them," Abdul Qadir, a newly elected PML-N MNA told AFP.
"We want to form the government with both the Baloch and Pashtun nationalist parties," Qadir said.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) won eight of the 51 directly elected seats in the provincial assembly, while the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) led by nationalist leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai emerged as the largest with nine seats.
Muhammad Usman Kakar, provincial president of PKMAP confirmed to AFP that his party was in talks with PML-N and other parties but said that as his party had most seats, with nine, it should nominate the chief minister.
The Islamist Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) party led by pro-Taliban cleric Fazlur Rehman, and Baloch nationalist National Party secured six seats each. Results for six constituencies are still awaited, according to the election commission.
The hardline Jamhoori Watan Party, whose former leader Sardar Akbar Bugti was killed in a military operation in 2006, boycotted the poll.
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PML-N and PKMAP have emerged as joint top parties in Baluchistan by winning 9 seats each. ML-N should take all like-minded Baloch and Pashtoon parties on board to form stable government there.
Credibility !!! What is the way forward on Balochistan ?
Will the new government be able to make Balochistanis stake holder in Pakistan ?
I just hope we just don't come across those flashy eye wash political statements devoid of intent and action !
There is no such thing as Baluchi people its Baluch and balcoh party . We are sick of the errors in media, our grammar is different so calling us Baluchi is belittling its Baluch
weren't PB50 and NA272 NP seats until yesterday? Suddenly now the winners on those seats are from PkMAP and BNP. I am glad that most of the Baloch people boycotted these bogus and rigged elections.