President Pervez Musharraf-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) suffered a huge defeat in Monday s parliamentary elections while the PML-N, headed by Nawaz Sharif, and Pakistan People s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), led by slain Benazir Bhutto s husband Asif Zardari, emerged victorious, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said. The religious alliance, Muthidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), was totally routed in its stronghold of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). At the federal level, the PML-N and PPP turned out to be the largest parties in the National Assembly (Lower House of Parliament) with the PML-Q trailing much behind. In the majority province of Punjab, the PML-N emerged as the largest party in the provincial assembly. The PPP immediately followed it while the PML-Q was left far behind. In Sindh, the PPPP and the Muthidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) turned out to be the largest parties in the provincial assembly with the PPP significantly leading. In the NWFP, the PPP and Awami National Party (ANP) came out to be the largest parties in the provincial assembly. In Balochistan, the PML-Q is leading other parties. At the federal level, a coalition government will come in place. In the Punjab, the PML-N is in a position to independently form government. In Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP, coalition governments are likely to be formed.
