Pakistan Election Results: What happens if no party is able to form govt? A look at possible scenarios

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Pakistan Election Results 2024: Pakistan is facing a deadlock with key political parties mulling option to form the new government in the crisis-hit country. Neither Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N) nor Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) seem to be winning a clear majority in the 336-member National Assembly. Follow Pakistan Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates here Although Independent candidates backed by Imran Khan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are leading the race, their "symbol-less" party will not be able to form the new government independently.

So, what happens if no party is able to form govt in Pakistan? In that case, Pakistan's army, the most powerful and organised force in the country, may step in to restore order and take power as it has done thrice before in the country's 76-year history, Reuters reported. The last time the country was ruled by the army was when in 1999, when then Army chief General Pervaiz Musharraf had overthrown Sharif's government. Pakistan has spent several decades under military rule (1958–1971, 1977–1988, 1999–2008).

As of now, the current army chief has already called on political parties to show "maturity and unity". ALSO READ: EVM vs ballot paper: Pakistan's 'rigged', delayed results a lesson for India? Nawaz Sharif's party PML-N, which reportedly won 74 seats, may strike a deal with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which won 53 seats. They, along with other parties like MQM-P, PML-Q and IPP, may pull together a majority in Parliament.