Pakistan General Election Results: Nawaz Sharif appeals rival parties to join hand to form unity government

New Delhi : The results for Pakistan General Elections have been declared, leading to hung government in the nation as independent candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan secured 92 of 226 seats. Ex Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has appealed to the rival parties to join hands and form a unity government.

Addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters at the party's Central Secretariat in Lahore, 74-year-old Sharif said his party respects the mandate of all parties, including the independent candidates backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

According to the latest Election Commission data, results of 226 constituencies out of 265 were declared. Independent candidates (mostly supported by PTI) bagged 92 seats while PML-N got 64, Pakistan Peoples Party secured 50, Muttahida Qaumi Movement won 12 and other parties got 8 seats.

Talking about the figures, any party must have minimum 133 seats in their favour to form the government.

Nawaz Sharif changed his stance and said that he has never left any party behind and is looking forward for coalitions to pull Pakistan out from the difficult situation.

"We can't hold elections again and again," he said. "We were all sitting together yesterday but didn't address you because the results were not in." 

"Our party has emerged as single largest winning party in the country after Thursday's polls. To steer Pakistan out of crises, we want other parties to join hands to form a coalition government," said Sharif, the three-time former premier. "Our agenda is only a happy Pakistan and you know what we have done before."

He said, it is time when we all should sit together positively and work towards bringing Pakistan out from the crisis.

Without naming Imran Khan, Sharif said: "Those who are in a mood to fight, I want to tell them that Pakistan cannot afford this fight. Pakistan needs stability for at least 10 years as this is a matter of the lives of Pakistanis."