Sharif’s party, Bhutto-Zardari-led group agree on ‘political cooperation’ amid uncertainty after Pakistan polls

Political leaders from the major Pakistani parties, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, meet in Lahore on February 11, 2024, after elections present no clear winner. (Photo courtesy: X/@MediaCellPPP)

• Negotiations underway among parties to form a coalition government in Islamabad after Thursday’s vote presents no clear winner
• Sharif’s PML-N won 75 seats and Bhutto-Zardari’s party has 54 seats, compared to 101 seats won by Khan-backed independent candidates

ISLAMABAD: Three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday reached a consensus for “political cooperation” between the two parties, the PML-N said in a joint statement, following a huddle between the two sides in the eastern city of Lahore.
The development comes after both Sharif and ex-premier Imran Khan claimed victory following Thursday’s national election, leading to uncertainty regarding formation of the next government in Pakistan that is grappling with multiple crises.
The possibility of a political stalemate in the country leading to delays in both reforms and crucial foreign funding has sparked a selloff in its international bonds and fueled fears of further economic misery for the South Asian country.
A prime ministerial candidate must demonstrate a simple majority of 169 seats in the 266-member National Assembly when the House convenes in the coming days, but since no party has secured a simple majority, negotiations are currently underway between different parties to form a coalition government in Islamabad.
“PPP’s [co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met PML-N’s delegation, led by former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif at Bilawal House in Lahore, reached a principled consensus on political cooperation between the PML-N and the PPP,” the PML-N said in the joint statement issued after the meeting.
During the meeting, it said, detailed discussions were held regarding the overall situation of the country and future cooperation.
The development came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced final results from Thursday’s vote and independent candidates, most of them loyal to Khan, secured 101 parliamentary seats.
Sharif’s PML-N secured 75 seats, while the PPP bagged 54 seats in the National Assembly, lower house of Pakistan parliament. The rest of the seats went to smaller parties, except two seats out of which results were withheld on one and election was postponed on the other.
After Thursday’s vote presented no clear winner, political alliances have started brewing with the likelihood of the formation of a coalition government in the country. On Friday, Sharif also called on allied parties to form a coalition government after his PML-N party failed to win enough seats to rule alone.
In Sunday’s meeting in Lahore, members of the PML-N and the PPP agreed to “safeguard the country from political instability,” according to the PML-N statement.
“In the meeting, both parties consulted on the situation and discussed proposals,” it said. “The PPP leadership will put forward the PML-N’s proposals in its central executive committee meeting to be held on Monday.”
Earlier in the day, a PML-N delegation also discussed the situation after polls with members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in Lahore.