Pakistan is about to form a government with Sharif as prime minister. The war is going badly for Ukraine – these five points still give hope

Nearly two weeks after the surprising election results, Pakistan is faced with the possible formation of a coalition government led by former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Muslim League PML-N of the political Sharif dynasty and the People’s Party PPP around former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari say they have enough votes to form a government. The two parties announced this at a press conference late on Tuesday evening local time. The PML-N will provide the future Prime Minister. “Shehbaz Sharif will be the candidate for prime minister,” Zardari said. Several small parties and independent candidates had announced their support for the coalition.

In the nuclear-armed South Asian state, the future balance of power appears to have been clarified after the February 8 elections. In the elections, quite unexpectedly, candidates registered as independent candidates, most of whom belong to the opposition party PTI, won the most seats among the various camps. The Muslim League PML-N surprisingly came only second in the vote, followed by the PPP, making forming a government difficult.

The elections in the country of about 240 million inhabitants were overshadowed by internet blockages and accusations of manipulation. Observers criticized the judiciary’s crackdown on the opposition PTI party, which was only allowed to run with independent candidates after a Supreme Court ruling.

Since Pakistan’s independence more than 75 years ago, as a result of the partition of British India, there have been repeated unrest and instability in the country. The army ruled for more than half of this time. Even under civilian governments, generals were seen as the force that could determine the success or failure of political leadership. (sda/dpa)