Pakistan's political landscape took a significant turn as the rivals of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan revealed details of a power-sharing agreement. The agreement, announced late Tuesday, named Shehbaz Sharif as the joint candidate for prime minister.
The announcement followed extensive discussions among the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and other parties that did not secure enough seats in the recent parliamentary elections to govern independently.
Although candidates aligned with Imran Khan's party won the most seats in the elections, they fell short of the required number to form a government. Shehbaz Sharif, a former prime minister and brother of Nawaz Sharif, emerged as the consensus candidate for the premiership.
The coalition of Khan's rivals claimed to have secured the necessary majority of votes to establish a new government. Shehbaz Sharif is set to be elected as the new prime minister during the inaugural session of the National Assembly later this month.
Additionally, former President Asif Ali Zardari of the PPP has been nominated as the joint candidate for president. The election for the new president will take place in the coming weeks across the national and provincial legislatures.
Earlier on Tuesday, Khan's party demanded the resignation of the head of Pakistan's Election Commission, alleging irregularities in the electoral process. The party accused the commission of converting victories of its candidates into defeats, a claim refuted by the election oversight body.
Despite Khan's party winning 93 seats in the National Assembly, it was insufficient to form a government. The PML and PPP secured 75 and 54 seats, respectively.
Imran Khan is currently serving multiple prison terms after being convicted on corruption charges and other offenses. His party's strong performance in the recent elections surprised many, including Nawaz Sharif, who was previously seen as the favored candidate of the security establishment.
Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to his allies for selecting him as the joint candidate for prime minister in the upcoming government.
