THE party of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and its allies announced that they will jointly form a coalition government.

The deal, announced on Tuesday, came after no party won an outright majority in last week's parliamentary elections and was announced hours after the parties — all rivals of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan — met in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by the Pakistan People's Party of former president Asif Ali Zardari and by Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, including his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Mr Khan when he was ousted through a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022.

At a news conference with Mr Zardari and other politicians, Shebaz Sharif did not say who would be the joint choice for prime minister, though it is widely believed that Mr Sharif would head the new government. 

Mr Zardari said: "We have decided that we will form the government jointly.”

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Muslim League, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said that the elder Mr Sharif — a three-time prime minister — had nominated his younger brother for the prime minister role.

Though candidates backed by Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 93 out of 265 National Assembly seats, it was not enough to form a government. 

Mr Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League and Mr Zardari's Pakistan People's Party won 75 and 54 seats respectively.

Mr Khan, who is currently serving multiple prison terms for convictions for corruption and violating a marriage law, was disqualified from contesting the vote.

Members of Mr Khan's party were forced to contest the vote as independent candidates after the Election Commission and Supreme Court stripped his party of its electoral symbol, which helps illiterate voters find candidates on the ballot.