Shehbaz set to be PM, Zardari Prez candidate

Islamabad, February 21

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party have struck a power-sharing deal to form a coalition government led by ex-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, a move that could effectively keep their arch-rival Imran Khan out of power after the controversial elections.

Both the PML-N and the PPP won fewer seats in Parliament than candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan in an election mired in controversies, including vote rigging. Khan, who could not contest the February 8 elections due to his convictions in some cases, including that of corruption, has been barred from holding any public office for 10 years.

At a joint news conference here late Tuesday night after marathon negotiations, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, 72, will assume the role of the prime minister once again. Similarly, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, 68, will be the joint candidate for the president’s office.

Last week, the PML-N, in a surprise move, announced that the party supremo and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif has nominated his younger brother Shehbaz as a candidate for the slot of prime minister. Nawaz, 74, was earlier confident of securing a record fourth term. — PTI

Mandate thieves must resign: Imran

Jailed former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s party on Wednesday rejected the attempts by two of its arch-rivals to form a coalition government. Khan warned that robbing its public endorsement by the “mandate thieves” will result in the worst political instability and told them to resign.

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