None of the three major parties, the PML-N, the PPP, or the PTI have won the necessary seats to secure a majority in the 266-member National Assembly.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are discussing the possibility of forming a new alliance to run the federal government. According to a report by Geo News, the two parties have deliberated on the idea of appointing prime ministers from either party for three and two-year terms at the helm. This power-sharing formula was previously implemented in Balochistan in 2013, where the PML-N and the National Party (NP) agreed to have chief ministerial candidates from both parties hold office for half of the five-year term.

None of the three major parties, the PML-N, the PPP, or the PTI have won the necessary seats to secure a majority in the 266-member National Assembly and, therefore, will be unable to form government on their own, leaving it unclear who will be picked as the cash-strapped country’s next prime minister.

In a meeting held at the Bilawal House in Lahore, the leaders of the PML-N and PPP agreed in principle to cooperate for the country’s political stability after the general election. The meeting was attended by PPP-Parliamentarian President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari, and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif from the PML-N.

The discussion of appointing prime ministers from both parties for specific terms reflects a potential power-sharing agreement between the PML-N and PPP. According to a joint statement issued after the huddle, the meeting was held in a cordial environment, with both sides expressing the commitment to put the nation’s interests and well-being above everything. The leaders of both parties engaged in substantive discussions regarding the prevailing political landscape and the imperative of collaborative efforts for the betterment of the country.

The PML-N delegation included Azam Nazir Tarar, Ayaz Sadiq, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanvir, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Malik Ahmad Khan, Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Sheza Fatima, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, the workers and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) launched nationwide protests over the alleged “rigging in the general elections” on February 8.PTI members demonstrated against what they claimed to be election tampering in Peshawar, blocking the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway.