Asif Ali Zardari will become Pakistan’s president, while Shehbaz Sharif will take over as prime minister, according to a Tuesday night announcement made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Speaking at a news conference late at night, Bilawal said that the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have the necessary numbers to form the upcoming government.
Days of discussions ensued before the PPP and the PML-N agreed on a coalition government in the center because neither party was able to gain a simple majority in the polls held on February 8.
Speaking at a joint news conference at Zardari House in Islamabad, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stated, “PPP and PML-N have achieved the required number, and [now] we are in a position to form the government.”
According to Bilawal, the candidates supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) were unable to secure a simple majority in order to establish the government at the center.
Shehbaz Sharif, the president of the PML-N, addressed the gathering and stated that although they had requested the PTI-backed winning candidates to demonstrate their majority and form the government, they lacked the necessary numbers.
Zardari declared during the news conference that Pakistan was supposed to advance under the new coalition administration. He requested prayers for Pakistan from everyone.
