00:00 Two political parties in Pakistan have reached a formal agreement to form a new government
00:08 following an election mired in controversy.
00:12 The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz or PMLN and the Pakistan People's Party or PPP have solidified
00:19 their alliance, as confirmed in a joint press conference held earlier on Tuesday.
00:25 This comes more than six days after the initial agreement to form a coalition was reached.
00:32 In a bold move, the PMLN, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, will receive backing
00:38 from the PPP in their bid to govern the nation.
00:43 Despite winning fewer seats than candidates aligned with the incarcerated former Prime
00:48 Minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI party, the coalition partners believe
00:55 that they have a mandate to address the country's economic crisis.
01:01 The chairman of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Bzardari, expressed the coalition's commitment to tackling
01:07 economic challenges, while Shehbaz Sharif, the former Prime Minister and President of
01:12 PMLN, pledged collective action to address economic and other issues.
01:18 The agreement positions Shehbaz Sharif to become Prime Minister for the second time
01:23 with the support of the junior coalition partner, while Asif Ali Zardari of the PPP is set to
01:30 become the coalition's candidate for the presidency, which is a position he has held before.
01:36 The process for electing the Prime Minister is expected to involve a parliamentary vote
01:40 by the end of February, while a separate election for the presidency will take place in the
01:46 coming weeks.
01:47 Despite the PTI's claim of election rigging and protests across the country, the coalition
01:52 partners, with a combined total of seats, are poised to secure sufficient support in
01:57 Parliament to govern effectively.
02:00 The situation remains tense in Pakistan, with social media disruptions reported, including
02:05 restricted access to the social media platform X.
02:08 Protests, legal challenges and allegations of meddling in the election process continue
02:14 to unfold, adding uncertainty to the political landscape in Pakistan.
02:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
