Pakistan stalemate ends, Sharif’s party seeks to get partner PPP to join cabinet

A political stalemate in Pakistan, after an inconclusive election, ended with Shehbaz Sharif chosen to lead the country again, while efforts were underway on Wednesday to get the second-largest party to join the government to ensure stability.
Sharif, 72, who was prime minister for 16 months until August, was late on Tuesday named as the coalition candidate for next premier by his elder brother Nawaz, founder and supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the largest party in parliament.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the second largest, backed the choice but did not commit to joining the government, indicating it would support a minority government from the outside.
Pakistan’s stock market cheered the overnight news that ended the stalemate after the Feb. 8 vote, with the benchmark index rising as much as 2% on Wednesday – its biggest such gain since the delayed election results over the weekend.