Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, his daughter and politician Maryam Nawaz Sharif, his brother and former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and former Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb gesture as they gather at the party office of Pakistan Muslim League (N) at Model Town in Lahore, Pakistan, February 9, 2024. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday claimed victory in national elections, saying that his political party has emerged as the largest in the vote and will discuss forming a coalition government.
Sharif did not disclose how many seats his party had won and counting was still underway in the last few of the 265 seats that went to the polls.
The latest count published by the election panel showed his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) winning 61 seats, much below the 133 mark needed to stake claim to form a government.
Sharif said his party alone does not have the seats needed but his deputies will meet leaders of other parties later in the day, including former president Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party, to discuss forming a coalition government.
(Reporting by Islamabad bureau; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by YP Rajesh)
