Pakistan’s former premier Sharif and allies agree to form a coalition

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —  The party of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and its allies announced late Tuesday that they will form a coalition government, ending the uncertainty since last week when no party won a simple majority in parliamentary elections.

The latest development came hours after the parties — all of them rivals of the country’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan — met in Islamabad, the capital.

The meeting was attended by the Pakistan People’s Party of former President Asif Ali Zardari and by Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League, including his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan when he was ousted as premier through a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022.

At a news conference with Zardari and other politicians, Shehbaz Sharif did not say who would be the joint choice for prime minister, though it is widely believed that he would head the new government. In his brief remarks, Sharif said the talks on a coalition were successful.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Muslim League, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said the elder Sharif — a three-time prime minister — had nominated his younger brother for the role.

The Pakistan Muslim League had been in talks with Zardari and other allies after Thursday’s election for the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.

Though candidates backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 93 out of 265 National Assembly seats, it was not enough to form a government. The Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan People’s Party won 75 and 54 seats, respectively.

The surprisingly strong showing for Khan’s party was a shock for Nawaz Sharif, who was the powerful security establishment’s preferred candidate after his return to the country in October. In November, a court acquitted Sharif in a graft case and the following month overturned his 2018 conviction in another graft case.

Tuesday’s move by the rivals of Khan came hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf refused to hold any talks with them. Khan, who is serving multiple prison terms after convictions on charges of corruption and violating a marriage law, was disqualified from contesting the vote.

Members of Khan’s party had to contest the vote as independent candidates after the Election Commission and Supreme Court stripped his party of its electoral symbol, which helps illiterate voters find candidates on the ballot. They also imposed other legal barriers.

Khan’s party says Thursday’s vote was rigged to stop it from getting a majority in the parliament, a charge the election officials denied.

Under the constitution, President Arif Alvi will convene the inaugural National Assembly session before Feb. 29 so that lawmakers can be sworn in. The parliament will later elect the new prime minister.