A spokesperson for the Pakistan Muslim League, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said that the elder Sharif — a three-time prime minister — had nominated his younger brother for the prime minister role.
The Pakistan Muslim League party had been in talks with Zardari and other allies after Thursday’s election for the National Assembly, or lower house of the parliament.
Though candidates backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 93 out of 265 National Assembly seats, it was not enough to form a government. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League and Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party won 75 and 54 seats, respectively.
The surprisingly strong showing for Khan’s party was a shock for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was marked out as the powerful security establishment’s preferred candidate following his smooth return to the country last October.
Pakistan’s military has always cast itself as the ultimate arbiter in who becomes prime minister.
Tuesday’s move by Khan’s rivals came hours after his PTI party refused to hold any talks with them. Khan, who is currently serving multiple prison terms because of convictions on charges of corruption and violating a marriage law, was disqualified from contesting the vote.
Members of Khan’s party also had to contest the vote as independent candidates after the Election Commission and Supreme Court stripped his party of its electoral symbol, which helps illiterate voters find candidates on the ballot. They also imposed other legal barriers.
Khan’s party says last Thursday’s vote was rigged to stop it from getting a majority in Parliament, a charge that election officials denied.
Under the constitution, Pakistani President Arif Alvi will convene the inaugural National Assembly session before Feb. 29 so that lawmakers can be sworn in. Parliament will later elect the new prime minister.