Sharif declares victory for Pakistan Muslim League-N in election

“Results are still coming in, but this much is confirmed: we’re the single largest party so far,” Sharif said during a speech to jubilant supporters in Lahore on Saturday night.
 
“We should thank Allah that he has given PML-N another chance to serve you and Pakistan,” the PML-N leader stated.
 
“Please pray that by morning we’re in a position that we don’t need the crutch of coalition partners,” he added.
 
    “I appeal to all to come sit with me at the table so that this nation can get rid of this curse of power cuts, inflation and unemployment,” Sharif stated.
 
 
Sharif’s center-right party has secured 126 seats of the 272 National Assembly seats that were contested.
 
Former cricket star Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has gained 34 seats, which means no single party has won a simple majority.
 
Pakistan held elections on Saturday for 272 directly elected seats of the National Assembly. An additional 70 seats - 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims - will be allocated on the basis of a party’s share in the directly elected seats.
 
Elections for a total of 577 seats in the four provincial assemblies were also held on the same day.
 
About 86 million people were eligible to vote in the election.
 
According to Pakistani Chief Election Commissioner Fakharuddin Ebrahim, turnout was about 60 percent, which is the highest since 1977.
 
“Nearly 60 percent of people took part in the voting process,” Ebrahim told reporters in Islamabad on Sunday.