UPDATE - Pakistan party says PM candidate to be announced after consultations with allies

UPDATES WITH PARTY STATEMENT, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which finished second in the Feb. 8 general elections on Monday issued a clarification with regard to naming the party’s prime ministerial candidate, saying a final decision will be announced after talks with allies.

The clarification came after Khawaja Asif, a former defense minister and senior PML-N leader, claimed Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was the party’s candidate for the coveted position.

Party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb said a "definitive" decision about its prime ministerial candidate had not been taken and Asif's statement was taken "out of context."

In a post on X, she said a joint candidate for the post will be announced after consultations within the party and the allies.

"Yes, Shehbaz Sharif will be our candidate," Asif had told reporters in his home city of Sialkot earlier in the day.

The election commission announced on Sunday the complete results of the general elections, nearly three days after polling. The delayed results led several parties to cry foul and some resorted to protests.

Independent candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan got 101 seats, followed by PML-N and PPP winning 75 and 54, respectively.

The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, has a total of 336 seats, with 60 reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.

As no party won a simple majority, or 169 seats, the new government has to be forged through negotiations.

The PML-N has held talks with the PPP on forming a coalition government, along with taking other smaller parties on board.

Shehbaz served as prime minister for more than a year, heading the coalition government that came into power after removing former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022.