Faheem Al-Hamid Saudi Gazette/Okaz LAHORE – Pakistan election winner Nawaz Sharif confirmed that he would further strengthen Saudi-Pakistani partnership and coordinate policies with Riyadh in all issues of mutual concern. He said this would be among the priorities of his new government, stressing that the Pakistani people will not forget the constant support of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for the people of Pakistan in difficult times. In the first interview conducted by Saudi Gazette/Okaz following his victory in the historic elections, the chief of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) said he views with respect and appreciation the wise policies being followed by King Abdullah to establish security and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world. Sharif said he would exert all efforts with the Kingdom in boosting Islamic solidarity and finding solutions to the issues of the Ummah. Speaking on the priorities in the coming phase, he said he will restore Pakistan's status in the world, boost the economy and abide by the promises to the voters including putting an end to corruption and establishing the state of law. He also said that he would deal with terrorism and bolster security, adding that the elections held on Saturday were transparent and honest. Sharif was in talks on Sunday to form a new government. Partial, unofficial results from Saturday's election represented a stunning comeback for Sharif, who was deposed as prime minister in a 1999 military coup and spent years in jail and exile. Sharif appears to have done well enough to rule out the prospect of a weak coalition, as the party of former cricket star Imran Khan achieved its own breakthrough on an anti-corruption platform that resonated with younger voters. Khan's party also looked set to take over the provincial government in the restive northwest, where he has vowed to end US drone strikes. Taliban violence marred the election campaign with attacks killing more than 150 people, including 24 on polling day itself. It remains unclear whether Sharif will preside over any substantive policy change in the war on militants. While he has voiced support for peace talks with the Taliban, he has been less vocal against US drone strikes than his main rival Khan. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Sharif on his “emphatic victory” and wrote on his official Twitter page that he hoped to chart “a new course for the relationship” between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday called on Sharif's incoming government to help negotiate an end to the Taliban insurgency that has ravaged his country since 2001. Pakistan suffers from its own home-grown Taliban insurgency. Pakistan, which has had three coups and four military rulers, is marking the first time that one elected civilian administration will hand power to another after a full term in office. TV projections suggested no single party would win an absolute majority in the 342-seat national assembly. But Sharif's center-right PML-N was well ahead with more than 115 of the chamber's 272 directly elected seats, according to various projections by private channels and as many as 128 according to Geo TV. Sartaj Aziz, a senior PML-N official and former Cabinet minister, said Sharif was in talks on Sunday with some independent MPs to get them on board and in discussions to work out “a few key portfolios” in the Cabinet. The election was defined by the tanking economy, an energy crisis that causes power cuts of up to 20 hours a day, the unpopular alliance in the US-led “war on terror” and chronic corruption. — Agencies
