Pak elections: PPP and PML most likely to form government

Ups and downs are part of the life. After scaling high for over eight years, it’s time for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to go down and it’s easy to kick a man when he is down, what his political rivals would have been expecting.

As per the recent information, the Pakistan Peoples Party, PPP leading with 87 seats, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaj), PML-N with 66 seats, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q), PML-Q party backs Musharraf came at the third position with incurring just 38 seats and Karachi based Muttahida Quami Movement, MQM fighting at the fourth position with 19 seats for the National Assembly election in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s two main opposition parties PML (N) and PPP won a clinching election victory over ruling PML (Q) supported by Musharraf on Tuesday after voters rejected his former ruling party, raising questions about the future of the Musharraf, who has ruled since 1999.

The opposition parties, PPP of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N appeared to have won enough to command a majority, as per the unofficial results. But there is no certainty whether they will work together.

Pakistan Muslim League (Q), which backs Musharraf was trailing a distant third, and the party's spokesman conceded defeat, however kept open the possibility of joining a coalition.

Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari combination will hold the keys to the next parliament in Pakistan as the result came out just opposite to the desire of Musharraf what he had expected.

The Pakistan’s parliament election results held for national and provincial assemblies have appeared worst possible news for the Musharraf. With his political detractors on a high, the former general faces political oblivion.

Before the commencement of the counting Musharraf, owing to the fear of impeachment in the backdrop of oppositions secures two-third majority and unites against him, urged the opponent parties to leave “politics of confrontation.”

PML-Q has been virtually routed with many of party's stalwarts comprising former premier and party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former foreign minister Khurshid M Kasuri and former railway minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed,defeated by their PPP and PML-N opponents. Former chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has also lost PML-Q, a seat from Bahawalpur.

Karachi based Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) which is aligned with Musharraf indicated its readiness to extend backing to either the PPP or the PML.

Pervez Musharraf, the former general, who doffed uniform last year under intense domestic and international pressure, said he was happy that he had fulfilled his pledge of holding free and fair poll.

Former Prime Minister and PML-N supreme Nawaz Sharif could not contest election third time in succession due to incurring ban by law.

The assembly, the Lower House has 272 elected seats out of 342. Direct elections were held for 267 seats while polling on five was postponed due to the death of candidates or law and order problems.