Political parties agree to cooperate after elections in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Feb 12 (KUNA) - Two major political parties Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples' Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) agreed to cooperate politically to steer the country out of political instability after no party managed to secure a clear majority in the February 8 general elections.
President of PML-N and three times former PM Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met former President and Chairman of Pakistan Peoples' Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari in eastern Lahore city. They discussed the overall situation of the country and future political cooperation. In a joint statement after the meeting, the leaders of both parties agreed in principle to cooperate politically to steer the country out of political instability and save it from political turmoil. They also emphasized that, as the majority of the people have given them the mandate, they will not disappoint the public. The PPP leadership said that the proposals from the PML-N will be presented in a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the party. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), around 60 million voters went to the polls on February 8 to elect their representatives.
The complete results released by ECP showed that PML-N got 75 National Assembly seats followed by PPPP securing 54 seats while Mutahidda Qaumi Movement managed to bag 17 seats. Pakistan Muslim League secured 3 seats and religious political party Jamiat Ulema Islam Fazal got 4 seats. The independent candidates including the ones backed by Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf secured 101 seats. The political parties are contacting each other to form a government. According to the preliminary report of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), more than 1.1 million election officials performed election duties. FAFEN acknowledged the ECP for setting in place a hassle-free process of accreditation for observers. The interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday congratulated the entire nation for conducting peaceful general elections despite heavy challenges and security threats. In a media briefing here in Islamabad, the PM said we have to carry on and show our commitment towards democracy despite numerous challenges. He congratulated and applauded all law enforcement agencies for ensuring a peaceful day of conducting a democratic exercise. PM Kakar said, "We were apprehensive due to terrorism threats particularly because of two unfortunate terrorist incidents which took place in Balochistan province, adding that the environment, and conducting peaceful elections is a big achievement. The Prime Minister said he is eagerly waiting for the newly elected government to take over the reign and transition of power go smoothly." (end) sbk.aa