Polls Hailed as Victory for Democracy

POLL\\ Pakistan’s former leader in exile Nawaz Sharif emerged as the clear winner in the recently-held Pakistan elections to become the Prime Minister-elect for the record third time. He beat former cricketer Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehrike- Insaf, and Bilawal Bhutto’s (son of Late Benazir Bhutto) People’s Party of Pakistan. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 123 seats out of the 272—short of a majority. He will be forming a government with support of Independents and smaller parties. The PML-N’s two closest rivals—PPP and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf—won 32 and 27 seats, respectively. Though the polls were mostly peaceful, 22 people were reported dead in poll-related conflicts. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Nawaz Sharif on his “emphatic victory” along with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. On May 12, 2013, Manmohan Singh’s special envoy, Satinder K. Lambah, met Sharif in Lahore. According to an official release, the special envoy conveyed Dr Singh’s greetings and good wishes to Sharif for his tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif conveyed his deep appreciation for the Indian Prime Minister’s message.