Nawaz Sharif strikes confident note as Pakistan casts its vote
confidence his party will win yesterday’s national election, a vote that has been marred by violence, deep political tensions and the imprisonment of a popular contender.
A day before the election, at least 30 people were killed in bombings at political offices, and sporadic attacks yesterday appeared aimed at disrupting the balloting, including one that killed five police officers in a country beset by surging militancy.
A total mobile phone shutdown across the country drew condemnation from rights groups.
The violence, political feuding and a seemingly intractable economic crisis have left many voters disillusioned and raised questions about whether a new government can bring more stability to the troubled Western ally.
Butmrsharifbrushedoffsuggestions his Pakistan Muslim League party might not win an outright majority in the parliament and would need to form a coalition to govern.
“For God’s sake, don’t mention a coalition government,” he said after casting his vote in theupscalemodeltownneighbourhood of Lahore.
Though there were hours of polling still to go, he even suggested he was thinking about which posts would go to his family members – including his younger brother and former prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
“Once this election is over,” Nawaz Sharif said, “we will sit down and decide who is prime minister and who is chief minister” of Punjab province, a job that is regarded as a stepping stone to becoming premier.
The polls closed last night on Thursday evening, and ballot counting began.
Sikandar Sultan Raja, chief election commissioner, said officials would communicate theresultstotheoversightbody by the early hours of this morning, with the outcome released to the public after that.
Deep political divisions make a coalition government seem more likely than Mr Sharif let on.ifnosinglepartywinsasimformerpakistaniprimeministernawazsharifhasexpressed ple majority, the first-placed gets a chance to form a coalition.
Still, that Mr Sharif appears to be the main contender represents a remarkable reversal of fortunes for the three-time prime minister, who returned tothecountrylastoctoberafter four years of self-imposed exile abroad to avoid serving prison sentences.
Within weeks of his return, his convictions were overturned, leaving him free to seek a fourth term in office.
His archrival, former prime minister Imran Khan, meanwhile, is behind bars and banned from running after a series of convictions, including some just days before the election.
Mr Khan was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and now has morethan150legalcaseshanging over him.
His supporters believe the charges were trumped up as part of an effort to hobble the popular cricket star-turnedislamist politician, who in his waning days in power began to criticise the country’s military, which has long played an outsized role in politics.
For God's sake, don't mention a coalition government Nawaz Sharif