Pakistan: coalition agrees to form government and shut out Imran Khan’s party

Rival parties will make Shehbaz Sharif prime minister, despite Khan's party getting most votes at election

A coalition including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PLM-N) and the Pakistan People's party (PPP) have agreed to form the next government of Pakistan, ensuring that the party of former prime minister Imran Khan will not take power despite getting the most votes in the election.

At a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday night, it was confirmed that the rival parties had agreed, with two smaller coalition partners, to form a joint government to take Pakistan out of difficulty" and that PLM-N's president, Shehbaz Sharif, would be their sole nominee for prime minister.