Nawaz Sharif, known as the 'lion of Punjab' who has promised to restart peace process with India, is set to be elected for a third innings as Pakistan Prime Minister. While votes from Saturday's historic general elections were still being counted, Sharif declared victory at the headquarters of his centre-right Pakistan Muslim league-N (PMl-N).
As per Pakistani TV projections till late on Sunday, PMl-N was leading the race with over 118 seats. Sharif needs 137 seats for a majority in a 272-member parliament. He may marginally fall short of absolute majority but will be able to make it up by getting the support of independent candidates and smaller rightist parties like the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, which was ahead in 11 seats.
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), about which there was considerable hype, lagged behind with trends showing it leading in just 34 seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which had a tally of 124 in the 2008 elections and ruled the country for five years with the support of the MQM and the Awami National Party, was ahead in only in 32 seats.
Overwhelmed by the victory, PMl-N supporters fired in the air at several places in lahore, violating the Election Commission's code of conduct. However, police remained silent spectators to their actions. Waving party flags, youths danced to the tune of drums. They also shouted slogans like "Wazir-e-Azam (Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif". At some places, the jubilant PMl-N workers brought tigers — the election symbol of the party — and danced in front of them.
Traffic remained suspended on the Mall Road, lahore's main thoroughfare, Gulberg and liberty Market for a few hours because of the celebrations by the PMl-N supporters.
"I am very happy to see my party winning the election. The people of Pakistan have given a historic mandate, and we hope they (PMl-N) will come up to their expectations," said Nasir Mahmood, a lahore resident.
During the campaign, 63-year-old Sharif had vowed to revive the India-Pakistan peace process which was interrupted in 1999 by then military ruler Parvez Musharraf, who ousted him in a bloodless coup. Sharif had started the peace process with then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "We will have to pick up the thread from where we left in 1999.
That was a historic moment and I would like to tread that path...We all agreed that we will have to solve, we will solve all the problems through peaceful means, sitting across the table," Sharif had said.
Sharif's campaign has focused a lot on the economy. Pakistan ranks 146th out of 186 countries in the United Nations' human development index, a measure of living standards, health and education.
Under the slogan "Strong Economy -- Strong Pakistan," Sharif seems to have successfully projected his image as a flag-bearer for private industry and entrepreneurship. Sharif had taken steps to liberalise the economy during his time in office in the 1990s.
Though his economic credentials seem to be fine, he is seen as someone who is soft on the Pakistani Taliban after his calls for talks rather than a military onslaught.
Sharif's last term as Prime Minister ended in 1999 when then Army Chief Pervez Musharraf carried out a bloodless coup. In a dramatic fall from grace, Sharif ended up in jail, convicted of hijacking charges for trying to stop a plane carrying Musharraf from landing. He then went into exile in Saudi Arabia and didn't return to Pakistan until 2007, when he teamed up with the PPP to force Musharraf out from office.
Incidentally, his bete-noire Musharraf, who came back from self-imposed exile to contest in the polls, is in jail following a battery of charges against him. While Sharif has said he does not have any vendetta against him, he has made it clear that treason charges would be slapped on the former military ruler if he comes to power.
We will have to pick up the thread from where we left in 1999. That was a historic moment and I would like to tread that path...We all agreed that we will have to solve, we will solve all the problems through peaceful means, sitting across the table,
Nawaz Sharif
If he (Sharif) wants to bring back the momentum of 1999, then it is better, because we think that we have to have good relations with (all neighbouring countries), especially with Pakistan... The way Atalji started the process, we will be happy if that is taken forward then
Prakash Javadekar,
BJP spokesperson
The greatest strength of democracy is a solid opposition, which was not there in Pakistan for the past 10 years. Till now there was friendly opposition. We will tell the people the benefit of a good opposition
Imran Khan
I hope we can continue to have good relations if he comes to power,
Salman Khurshid
External Affairs Minister
Big names who lost
>Former Information Ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira and Firdous Ashiq Awan
>Punjab president of PPP Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo
>Former Public Account Committee chairman Nadeem
>Afzal Gondal
>Gilani's both sons Ali Musa Gilani and Abdul Qadir Gilani
>Ex-Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf (PPP)
>Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan