ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari agreed to form the next government.
They decided to work out the modalities of the new government after holding meetings with their leaders.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif gave the task of forming a coalition government to Shehbaz Sharif and the latter held the first meeting with Zardari in Lahore on Friday.
Presently, PTI-backed candidates lead with nearly 100 seats, followed by PML-N (71), PPP (53), and MQM-P (17) while some results are still in the pipeline.
The spotlight is firmly on the 2024 general elections, captivating political parties, independent contenders, and voters alike, who are glued to their television screens as the eagerly anticipated yet unofficial and unconfirmed results for the pivotal nationwide polls near completion.
The 2024 elections have surpassed their predecessors in 2018 on several fronts. The polls witnessed a record budget allocation of Rs48 billion, a significant surge in voter numbers exceeding 50% of the total population, an unprecedented ratio of independent candidates, a staggering total of nearly 18,000 contenders, and a substantial volume of paper required for printing 260 million ballots.
Over 1.4 million polling staff diligently carried out their duties at 90,675 polling stations, with 16,766 stations designated as highly sensitive. February 8 was declared a public holiday to encourage voter turnout.
Polling commenced at 8 am, with minor delays in some areas, and continued until 5 pm nationwide, marking the largest general elections in Pakistan’s history, as the world’s fifth-largest democracy.
Despite the suspension of cellular services due to security concerns since dawn, the country experienced a predominantly peaceful polling process, although a tragic terror attack in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claimed the lives of four policemen.
Expectations were high for the swift completion of election results, yet even 24 hours after polling concluded, the unofficial results remained undisclosed.
As the results gradually emerged, independent candidates emerged as frontrunners, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vying for the majority in the Centre. However, the prolonged delay in the comprehensive compilation of results ignited controversy.
Amidst the uncertainty surrounding the election outcomes, all eyes are on PTI affiliates as they await the party’s decision on their next steps.
