After hectic parleys following a hung verdict in the national elections, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday decided to form a coalition government under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif.
Sources close to Nawaz Sharif told CNN-News18 that Shehbaz will be the new Prime Minister of Pakistan while Maryam, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, will be the Chief Minister of Punjab province.
The PPP will support the government from the outside. Asif Ali Zardari is likely to be the President and his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will do politics in the National Assembly.
Sources close to PML-N said that Nawaz Sharif is not keen to become the prime minister for the fourth time in the present circumstances.
The establishment wants a comfortable government under Shehbaz backed by Asif to run economic programs and bring borrowing to the country. Asif wants the Presidency for himself for the second time.
The establishment is also not comfortable under the Nawaz-led government due to his anti-army stand. The Army feels Shehbaz will be a great chief executive for the government to deliver on expected lines.
Nawaz Sharif on Monday deputed Shehbaz for talks with other political parties to form a government.
Asif and Shehbaz are likely to meet tonight in Lahore for discussions and their meeting will be conveyed to the establishment.
Shehbaz, 72, had earlier led a government after Imran Khan was voted out of power in April 2022.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced that independent candidates, a majority of them supported by the PTI secured 101 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) getting 54 seats, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) bagging 17 seats.
To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly. Other parties got 17 seats while the result of one constituency was withheld.
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