Pakistan elections: PML-N, PPP agree to form coalition government

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have agreed to form a coalition federal government in Pakistan following the country’s general elections held on Thursday.

Geo News said the two parties reached in the agreement when PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

As per the results of the election till Saturday morning, candidates backed by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won 99 seats out of 266 National Assembly constituencies.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party secured 71 seats and Bilawal Bhutto’s PPP won in 53 constituencies. The election was postponed in one constituency because of the killing of one of the candidates.

During a speech on Friday, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif acknowledged that, telling supporters "we don't have enough of a majority to form a government without the support of others and we invite allies to join the coalition so we can make joint efforts to pull Pakistan out of its problems."

"We will have to sit together to settle all matters," he said.

Nawaz Sharif also claimed that the PML-N had emerged as the largest party in the election

Later, Shehbaz met the PPP top leaders at the residence of Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Party sources said Shehbaz discussed the future government formation with Zardari and also conveyed Nawaz Sharif’s message. Shehbaz asked the two PPP leaders to sit with the PML-N leadership for political and economic stability in Pakistan, Geo News said.

Sources claimed that Zardari and Shehbaz agreed to form a government in Punjab and at the centre and both the parties will present their own views in the next meeting and finalise all matters regarding the power-sharing formula as to who will assume which office and where with mutual consultation. The meeting lasted 45 minutes.