More than 13 years after being ousted in a military coup, Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif was set to become prime minister again Wednesday after winning last month's elections, dpa reported.
A parliament session is scheduled to elect a new premier for a five-year term.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won at least 176 seats in the 342-member Lower House. At least two other parties with a total of 48 seats have also announced their support for his candidacy.
Sharif, 63, was ousted by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 1999 and exiled a year later to Saudi Arabia. He returned in 2007 but could not contest 2008 elections due to court cases against him.
In a reversal of fortunes, Musharraf is now under arrest in the suburbs of Islamabad, with various court cases pending against him.
Sharif faces several daunting challenges including an energy crisis, economic slowdown, Islamic militancy and corruption in the public sector.