Pak army chief backs Nawaz Sharif's call to form coalition govt

Efforts to form unity govt gained momentum after PML-N chief appealed to other political parties to join hands

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PAKISTAN'S powerful army chief Gen Asim Munir on Saturday urged the country's polarised political leadership to form a "unified government of all democratic forces", as he backed ex-premier Nawaz Sharif's plea to his rivals to help form a coalition government after the general elections appear to have produced a hung Parliament.

Efforts to form a unity government gained momentum after the three-time former prime minister Sharif, who seems to enjoy the backing of the Pakistan Army, on Friday appealed to other political parties to join hands to pull cash-strapped Pakistan out of its current difficulties.

Independents backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the lion's share of 100 seats in the National Assembly in Thursday's election. Khan's party has already clai med victory in the elections.