Nawaz Sharif declares victory in Pakistan election
LAHORE, Pakistan — Nawaz Sharif declared victory for his centre-right party in Pakistan's landmark elections Saturday, as unofficial partial results put him on course to win a historic third term as premier.
The result represented a remarkable comeback for a man who was deposed as premier in a 1999 military coup and came after millions of people defied polling day attacks that left 24 dead to participate in the high-turnout vote.
Flanked by his close family, Sharif gave a victory speech to hundreds of jubilant supporters who shouted "prime minister Nawaz Sharif" at his centre-right Pakistan Muslim League-N party headquarters in Lahore.
"Whatever promises we made with our youth, I assure you that we fulfil each of them. Results are still coming but there is a confirmation that PML-N will emerge as the largest party," he said, inviting other parties to work with him.
According to the unofficial, partial results it appeared that no single party would win a simple majority of 172 seats in the national assembly, raising the prospect of protracted talks to form a coalition government.
Sharif struck a conciliatory tone following a high-voltage campaign that saw him clash with his main rival, cricket star Imran Khan, whose promises of reform and ending corruption struck a chord with middle-class and youth voter
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