Pak drama continues as 3 main parties step up efforts to form govt

Pakistan’s three main political parties stepped up efforts on Saturday to form a government after a split mandate in the general election saw independent candidates backed mainly by former premier Imran Khan’s party winning more seats than the PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

- Rezaul H Laskar

Results continued to come in two days after the close of balloting on Thursday,with independent candidates bagging 100 of more than 250 constituencies for which results were declared by the election commission of Pakistan. At least 90 of these candidates are backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of Khan,who is in jail after his conviction in three separate cases.

Three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N party won 73 of the 265 National Assembly seats that were contested, while the PPP led by former foreignminister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari secured 54 seats. Leaders of both PML-N and PTI claimed victory and said efforts were underway to form the next government. In an apparent reference to the military, PTI chairman Gohar Khan, who is the former premier’s lawyer, called on “all institutions” in Pakistan to respect his party’smandate. “Wehavenoquarrelwith anyone, we want to move forward. Wewill proceed and form a government in accordance with the Constitution and the law,”Gohar Khan told a news conference in Islamabad. “No obstacles should be created for thePTI and results should be announced as soon as possible.”