As major political parties in Pakistan backed the formation of a coalition government led by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party on Wednesday alleged that its mandate had been “stolen in the dark of the night”.

In a surprise move, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday night nominated Shehbaz, 72, as the Prime Ministerial candidate instead of the party supremo and three-time former Premier Nawaz Sharif. Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s central information secretary Raoof Hasan said that Imran’s “mandate has been stolen in the dark of the night”.

In a post on X, Hasan said, “Pakistan is being put on [the] road to further destabilisation.”

Referring to a possible coalition government led by the PML-N, he said, “The decision to induct a bunch of criminals to form governments, who have been rejected by the people, reflects a myopic view of the grave challenges the country is beset with.”

Independent candidates backed by Khan’s PTI sprang a surprise by winning the most seats in Parliament in the February 8 general elections. They have won 92 seats in the 266-member National Assembly. To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly.

While Khan, the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician is in jail after being convicted in corruption cases, the PTI-backed candidates ran as independents due to the party losing the election symbol of ‘bat’ following controversy surrounding its organisational elections.

The PTI spokesperson said the current situation was “striking at the very essence of democratic principles and norms”, as well as reflected a “disdain for the national interests and the welfare of its people. Forces of dark must be stopped”.