LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and prime minister-elect Nawaz Sharif, felicitating him on winning the historic May 11 polls, DawnNews reported.

He also felicitated the former two-time prime minister on achieving majority of the seats in the parliament and expressed his hope that Nawaz would be able to strengthen the democratic process during his political tenure.

President Zardari, on the occasion, hoped that Sharif will attend the dinner in honour of prime minister of China later this week.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is set to visit Pakistan on Tuesday. He is expected to sign on some key agreements between the two countries during his visit.

The president also telephoned JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan.

Spokesperson to the president Senator Farhatullah Babar said the president congratulated the leaders and their respective parties on participation in elections paving way for the first democratic transition in the country.

The spokesperson quoted the president as saying that the elections followed by smooth transfer of power in the coming days will be remembered as a watershed mark in our political evolution and a triumph of the democratic ethos of the people and the political parties. – APP/DawnNews

Opinion

Editorial

Exit strategy
Updated 18 Mar, 2026

Exit strategy

MOST members of the international community, particularly states in the greater Middle East, are gravely concerned...
Unsafe trains
18 Mar, 2026

Unsafe trains

SUNDAY’S accident involving the Shalimar Express has once again brought into sharp focus the deep structural and...
Disappointment in Dhaka
18 Mar, 2026

Disappointment in Dhaka

FOR a side looking for lift-off after a disappointing T20 World Cup, it was despair for Shaheen Shah Afridi’s ...
Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...