Nawaz Sharif set to become Pakistan

Mangaloretoday/DHNS

Islamabad/Lahore, May 11, 2013: Millions vote despite widespread violence; final results today

Nawaz Sharif was on Saturday set for a third term as Pakistan’s Prime Minister as his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party took a massive lead over its rivals in the general election, acc­ording to provisional results from across the country.

 

from some 250 of the 272 parliamentary seats that went to the polls showed that the PML-N was set to bag in excess of 120 seats, while the Pakistan People’s Party and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were lagging far behind with about 35 seats each.

Addressing a group of jubilant supporters at his home in Lahore, Sharif proclaimed victory for the PML-N and asked people to pray that the final results, expected to be announced on Sunday, would show an “absolute majority” for his party so that he would not have to lead a weak coalition. 

“The results are still coming in but we almost have confirmation about one thing­—that the PML-N has emerged the largest party in this election. I ask you to pray that the results that come in the morning will show that the PML-N can form government without outside support, so that the PML-N doesn’t have to seek support from anyone,” he said.

Earlier in the day, defying Taliban death threats and violence that claimed 32 lives, millions of Pakistanis voted in the historic general election.

Cricketer-turned-politician Khan won from the Peshawar 1 seat in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province