Islamabad, Pakistan (BBN)- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in May 11 elections surprised most political experts by clinching a thumping victory, mainly in Punjab, and is poised to form its government in the centre.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also impressed with an impressive performance coming close to becoming the second largest party in the South Asian country, Geo news reported.
While all the results were still to come in, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) appeared locked in a neck-to-neck battle with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for second position in the next parliament.
Nawaz Sharif, in his victory speech, promised a clean and efficient government after his brother Shahbaz Sharif declared that his brother would become the country’s prime minister for the third time.
According to unofficial results so far, PML-N President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif won from Sargodha while he was in a comfortable position in his hometown Lahore. Similarly, Imran Khan of the PTI posted a thumping victory in Peshawar and his native town of Mianwali but the situation did not look so good for him in the NA constituencies of Lahore and Rawalpindi.
President Asif Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur, PTI’s Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Ch Pervaiz Elahi, Mehmood Khan Achakzai of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, PTI-backed Sh Rashid Ahmad and former NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza are also among those who returned to the National Assembly as per the unofficial results.
In different incidents of violence in Peshawar, Karachi and Balochistan’s various areas, at least 18 persons were killed and over 50 injured. However, overall security situation was better than being widely speculated on the election day.
PML-N leadership, within five hours after the polling ended, has dropped hints of sitting together with all those in the arena to form a coalition government, including PTI of Imran Khan to deal with the deep-rooted gigantic problems, Pakistan faces today.
The polls saw the PPP being washed away from central Punjab by the PML-N and PTI sweeping Peshawar and even not sparing veteran Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.
Jamaat-e-Islami, Sunni Tehrik, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen boycotted the elections in Karachi, citing massive rigging while Jamhoori Watan Party also boycotted the elections due to similar reasons. There are hints that polling could be held again on four to five NA seats in Karachi.
Like in 2008 elections, again Maulana Fazlur Rehman finds himself in a comfortable position to strike a deal with the major stakeholders on formation of a coalition government not only in the Centre but also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In view of voter trends, the PML-N is all set to form government in Punjab while the PTI can be in a position to lead a coalition set-up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan is in again for a split mandate among different parties, mainly JUI-Fazl, BNP-Mengal and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.
Though, the Election Commission is yet to announce official results, charged activists of PML-N, PTI and PPP have started celebrations in various cities and towns.
An election commission spokesman said they hoped for a turnout of 60-80 percent. In 2008 it was 44 percent.
No official results have yet been released, but unofficial partial results suggested that Mr Sharif's party was ahead in more than 100 of the 272 directly elected parliamentary seats, according to BBC report.
It is not clear if they will be able to win a simple majority in the National Assembly.
In a speech at his party headquarters in the north-eastern city of Lahore, Mr Sharif said that PML-N was sure to emerge as the largest party.
"We should thank Allah that he has given PML-N [Muslim League] another chance to serve you and Pakistan."
"I appeal for all parties to come to the table and sit with me and solve the country's problems."
However, the BBC's Owen Bennett Jones in the city says that the mood in the party was not one of joy, as there are so many daunting challenges facing the country.
Mr Sharif's apparent victory is largely confined to his native Punjab province, which has nearly 60 percent of the country's population, and so he will be compelled to look for support from the three smaller provinces for greater legitimacy.
But our correspondent says that even if he had got as few as 90 seats he would still have been able to put together a coalition.
The Movement of Justice (PTI) party of former cricketer Imran Khan has also performed well, with projections saying he had won a big victory in Peshawar.
President Asif Ali Zardari's PPP is in a race for second place with the PTI, but both seem likely to win fewer than than 40 seats.
Outgoing Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf suffered a crushing defeat in his own seat in Rawalpindi.
The PPP hardly tried - because of Taliban threats against it but also because of a lack of will as it was so unpopular –BBC correspondent adds.
BBN/SSR/AD-12May13-11:13 am (BST)
