Pakistan parties wrangle over premiership, vote rigging allegations rejected
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Pakistan’s two largest political parties were still wrangling over who will be prime minister after an inconclusive election last week forced them to join forces and try to form a coalition in a parliament dominated by independents.
The squabbling is likely to deepen concerns about the stability of the nation which is mired in an economic crisis and battling a surge in militant violence.
Pakistan’s benchmark share index fell 3.4% on Monday, its first day of trading after the results of the Feb. 8 vote.
Former prime ministers Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif both declared victory on Friday, with independent candidates backed by the jailed Khan forming the largest group of 93 members of a total of 264 seats for which results were declared.
However, Khan cannot become prime minister from jail and his grouping cannot form a government as they nominally ran as independents as his party was barred from standing.
Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was the largest recognised party with 75 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto, was second with 54.
