Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif casts his vote at a polling station during the general election, in Lahore, Pakistan, February 8, 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Lahore: Former prime minister PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif urged voters to give him the "crucial" majority in Parliament and ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition government.
The three-time prime minister, eyeing a record fourth term in the 2024 polls as his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is tipped to emerge as the single largest party, was speaking after casting his vote in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.
The 74-year-old Sharif, who is contesting from the Lahore (NA-130) seat, was accompanied by his daughter and party's chief organiser Maryam Nawaz, and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party leader Awn Chaudhry.
Quoting Sharif, Geo News said that the PML-N leader urged the masses to come out and vote as the country “needs a one-party majority to bring stability.”
“We rendered sacrifices to witness the day where we are today. We have to end this culture of abuse and indecency,” he said and hoped that the poll would bring prosperity to the country which is facing grave economic and security challenges.
When asked to comment on the formation of a government after the elections and what would be his priority, Sharif said a party must get the majority to rule independently without dependence on others.
“For God's sake! Don’t talk about a coalition government. One-party majority is crucial for the country,” Sharif was quoted as saying.
To form a government, a party has to win 133 seats in the 266-member National Assembly (NA). Election to one seat has been postponed following the death of a candidate.
Taking a jibe indirectly at his rival and jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party, he said the country needs a healing touch.
He also highlighted the sacrifices of party leaders including Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz, saying they also spent time in jail.
As voting continued from 8:00 am, the general election is taking place amid the spectre of rising militant attacks with at least 30 killed in twin attacks in the restive Balochistan province on the eve of the election.
While Sharif is considered the frontrunner, his main rival is another former prime minister, incarcerated Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Incidentally, Bhutto-Zardari, who was the country’s youngest foreign minister in 2022 in the coalition government led by Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother Shehbaz, on Monday said he would not go for the same post under Nawaz Sharif if the ex-prime minister came back to power.
“I will not become a foreign minister if Nawaz comes to power again, I can’t participate in the same old politics. If he breaks away from that and creates an environment that benefits democracy in the country, then I can stand with that,” he was quoted as saying by local media.