Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Sharif is Big Winner in Pakistan Poll The party of a former Pakistani prime minister is the apparent winner in Saturday`s election with nearly all the votes counted. Figures released by Pakistan`s election commission Tuesday show that Nawaz Sharif`s Pakistan Muslim League - N will likely get a majority in the national assembly, setting him up to be prime minister for the third time. The commission said Mr. Sharif`s party won 123 of the 272 directly elected seats. Mr. Sharif`s victory means that his party will likely only need the support of independents to secure an overall majority in the legislature. The outgoing Pakistan People`s Party won 21 seats. Cricket star Imran Khan`s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party moved into third place with 26 seats. Mr. Sharif, a conservative politician, says he wants to continue good relations with the United States, but has warned that Washington must take Islamabad`s concerns about drone strikes seriously. The drone strikes are deeply unpopular among Pakistanis. The program targets suspected militants in Pakistan`s tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, reportedly with Pakistani government assistance. Mr. Sharif was Pakistan`s prime minister from 1990 until 1993, when he was forced to resign because of allegations of corruption. He returned to the job in 1997, but was toppled by a military coup two years later. Saturday`s vote marked the first time Pakistan has transitioned form one civilian government that finished a full term to another civilian administration. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/sharif-is-big-winner-in-pakistan-poll /1660517.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/sharif-is-big-winner-in-pakistan-poll/1660517.html