Three-time former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif gave his 'victory' speech on Friday evening and announced plans to form a government after results for most national assembly seats were announced.
Nawaz has invited successful parties for talks to form a coalition government in the centre.
Nawaz's PML-N secured 64 seats in the general elections based on results available thus far. This puts the PML-N far short of the 134 seats required to attain a simple majority. Thus, he must partner with other parties who can help him attain the magical number.
Thus far, independent candidates, most of whom were backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after candidates of the party had to contest elections without their iconic symbol of 'Bat' over the party's failure to hold intraparty elections, have secured some 92 seats in the lower house of parliament. They are in a position to form a government.
But like the PML-N, they, too, need support from willing partners to make up the requisite numbers to form a government.
In his public speech on Friday evening, Nawaz lamented that they would have been happier if they had mustered sufficient numbers to attain a majority to form the government.
However, he insisted that his party had emerged as the single largest party in the country.
"We are duty-bound to drag this country out of crisis," he said, adding that they respect the public mandate earned by representatives of all political parties and independent candidates.
"We invite everyone to come sit with us and help a wounded Pakistan get out of its current predicament," he said, adding that their agenda was a prosperous Pakistan.
He reiterated that everyone knew what they had done to drag the country out of difficult situations and fix the economy in the past.
"We have received a mandate, and it is important that we all sit together and help the country out of its current crisis."
Thus, he invited all political parties and independents who had successfully contested polls to talk with them and form a plan for a coalition government in the centre.
Nawaz said that he has tasked former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif with speaking to other parties to forge an alliance, including Pakistan Peoples Party's Asif Ali Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl's (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
The former prime minister further said that politicians, parliament, military, media and everyone should play a positive role, adding that it will take ten years to ensure stability in the country. He further said that the country cannot afford a conflict at this stage and must sit together to resolve issues.
Meanwhile, former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will be travelling from Islamabad - where he was observing elections - to Lahore, and it is expected talks will be held between the PPP and the PML-N on forming a government.