Islamabad: Pakistan is likely headed towards a hung verdict with former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan both declaring victory. The country’s Election Commission hasn’t announced all the results yet. Analysts had predicted there may be no clear winner.
With both the independent candidates backed by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) falling short of a majority, Pakistan is set to head towards a fractured mandate. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, while confirming that he did not have the numbers to form the government, reached out to PPP, led by the Bhutto-Zardari family, to form a coalition.
Sharif has said he would talk to other parties to form a coalition government as his party has failed to win a clear majority on its own. Khan, a popular former cricketer who voted from jail, said in a “victory speech” that Independents backed by his party are on course to win over 170 in the 264 seats that went to polls. The majority mark is 133.
Elections were held in Pakistan on February 8 amid a mobile service blackout.
