Former Pakistan PM Sharif and allies agree to form Winnipeg Free Press Coalition

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party and its allies announced late Tuesday that they would form a coalition government together, ending a week of uncertainty in which no party won a simple majority in parliamentary elections.

The latest incident comes hours after the rivals of the country's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan met in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by former president Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, including his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif, who succeeded him in 2022 when he was ousted by a vote of no confidence in parliament.

Pakistan's former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses his party's aides Ishaq Dar and Khawaja Saad Rafiq during a press conference on parliamentary elections, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Pakistan. Sharif, the main political rival. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called on Tuesday to form a government if he is supported by a majority of newly elected lawmakers in parliament. (AP Photo/KM Chaudary)

At a press conference with Zardari and other politicians, Shebaz Sharif did not say who would be the common choice for prime minister, although Sharif is widely expected to lead the new government. In his brief speech, Sharif said that the coalition negotiations were successful.

“We have decided to form a government together,” Zardari said.

Marryum Aurangzeb, a representative of the Pakistan Muslim League, said the elder Sharif, a three-time prime minister, nominated his younger brother for the post of prime minister.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party held talks with Zardari and other allies after Thursday's election to the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament.

Candidates backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won 93 of the 265 seats in the National Assembly, but this was not enough to form a government. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League and Zardari's Pakistan People's Party won 75 and 54 seats, respectively.

The surprisingly strong showing for Khan's party came as a shock to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was named as the preferred candidate for the powerful security establishment after his return to the country last October.