Nawaz Sharif Declares Victory in General Elections in Pakistan

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced today, Friday, his victory in the general elections, stating that "the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has secured the highest number of votes," and he will discuss the formation of a coalition government. Sharif mentioned that his deputies will meet with other political parties later today to discuss forming a coalition government. He did not disclose the number of seats his party secured, and the counting of votes is still ongoing for the final few seats out of the 265 contested in the elections. The latest vote count released by the election commission showed that his party guaranteed 42 seats, which is well below the 133 seats needed to declare victory and form a government.