14 February 2024 03:32 pm Views - 1834
Loyalists of Khan, jailed on corruption charges, won the most seats as independent candidates in Thursday's election.
"The parties present here are almost two-thirds of the house that has been elected," said Shehbaz Sharif, president of the PML-N, alongside leaders of the PPP and two other groups, and representatives from two more.
After the press conference, an aide said Sharif would lead the country.
"The PML-N's candidate for prime minister is Shehbaz Sharif," party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb told Geo News.
Sharif said the PML-N was even willing to talk to Khan to include his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the next government.
"Forget and forgive; forgive and forget -- come let's join hands for the betterment of the country," he said.
"Sacrifice self interests, set the issue of egos aside."
Khan rules out cooperation
The press conference followed a hectic day of behind-the-scenes negotiations and even denials by PPP that they were ready to join forces with PML-N.
Earlier, speaking during a court appearance at Adiala Jail where he has spent much of his time since his arrest in August, Khan ruled out cooperation.
"We will neither sit with the PML-N nor with the PPP," he told a handful of reporters covering a procedural hearing at the prison outside the capital Islamabad.