Nawaz Sharif, a three-time former Prime Minister of Pakistan, announced that his party will initiate discussions with rival Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s group to form a coalition in Pakistan. This move may potentially resolve the deadlock as a contentious election in the South Asian country headed for a hung parliament. In his speech where he claimed victory, Sharif stated that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will engage in talks with Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party. Bhutto Zardari, 35, is a member of the Bhutto dynasty, while Sharif, who was acquitted of corruption charges after returning from exile in London, is a three-time former premier and a veteran in politics. If the two family-based parties join forces, it could thwart the strong performance of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s candidates, who were compelled to run as independents in the election, highlighting Khan’s enduring popularity and making the polls a close race.
Sharif expressed, “We have to sit down together. It’s the duty of everybody to take this country out of this quagmire.” He claimed that PML-N is the largest party in the parliament after the election. His close aide revealed that PML-N is expected to secure nearly 90 out of the 265 seats up for grabs in the National Assembly, Pakistan’s lower house. The Election Commission of Pakistan’s scorecard indicated that the Khan-backed independents were leading with 90 seats, followed by PML-N at 62 and the PPP at 50.
An alliance between the two parties may bring relief for the nation’s powerful military, which reportedly played a significant role in removing Khan from power in April 2022. On the other hand, it could potentially displease Khan’s millions of young supporters who are drawn to the former cricket star’s populist and anti-establishment rhetoric, viewing the Sharifs and Bhuttos as representatives of the traditional Pakistani politics.
The outstanding performance by the Khan-backed independents has created uncertainty about the country’s future, leading to a selloff in its assets. Dollar bonds fell, and the benchmark stock index declined 2%.
If Sharif becomes prime minister, he will face challenges on multiple fronts. The country is grappling with a struggling economy and high inflation of 28%, the highest in Asia, intensifying the hardships for the 40% of the population living in poverty. Pakistan is heavily indebted and depends on financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund. The nine-month bailout program, Pakistan’s 23rd since independence in 1947, is set to expire next month, necessitating the new prime minister to negotiate a new deal.
The new leader will also have to navigate complex ties with the US and China, rising terrorism in Pakistan, and strained relations with neighboring countries including India, Afghanistan, and Iran. Despite Sharif’s claim of victory, the election’s outcome remains uncertain, and forming a government may take weeks.
The elections were marred by terrorist attacks in remote provinces bordering Afghanistan, resulting in dozens of casualties. On the day of the polls, Pakistan suspended mobile phone services nationwide, citing the need to maintain law and order. The announcement of results was delayed by over 24 hours. The US State Department expressed concerns about “undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly” during the elections and called for a thorough investigation of any claims of interference or fraud.
Khan’s PTI also claimed victory in the early hours of Friday morning, while warning supporters of alleged election-rigging. Khan, a former cricket star and the most popular politician in Pakistan, was imprisoned last year and has since been convicted in multiple other cases, which he alleges are politically motivated.
Sharif, backed by the country’s powerful military, is seen as a potential replacement for Khan. He is Pakistan’s longest-serving prime minister, having held the role for a total of nine years, although he has never completed a full five-year term.
Sharif was ousted three times as prime minister, twice in the 1990s and once in 2017 after a corruption investigation following a Panama Papers leak. In 1999, the military staged a coup after he attempted to remove General Pervez Musharraf as army chief. Pakistan’s military has ruled the nation for almost half of its history, exerting significant influence over its politics.
