( CNN ) -- Pakistan 's election campaign was heavily infused with the rhetoric of change . Voter turnout was the highest since the 1970s . A large number of new youth voters also entered the fray . Yet the evolution of democratic culture in Pakistan produced a rather conventional outcome -- victory for a two-time former prime minister known for corruption and the military coup that ousted him in 1999 . Nawaz Sharif and his party , the Pakistan Muslim League -- Nawaz ( PML-N ) will still be on the hook to produce change for over 180 million Pakistanis -- and there is a lot to change . The good thing is that there is not a lot of confusion over what Pakistan 's problems are . Sharif 's wide margin of victory also affords him a broad mandate to make bold policy decisions without the same political instability that plagued the outgoing Pakistan People 's Party government . Will he take advantage of this opportunity ? Yes and no . Sharif has rightly prioritized the economic situation , but he will still have to pick and choose his battles on reform . The economic challenges demand both short-term fixes and long-term reforms . Most governments in Pakistan have opted for short-term fixes because the path to reform simply takes too long or lacks political support . Sharif might have support in the National Assembly for some of the more difficult reforms , such as taxation and cutting energy subsidies , but the backing of special interest groups , trade unions and provincial governments among others will not always be guaranteed . Real reform will require the buy-in of these stakeholders too . Sharif could be the man to do it . He is a free-market oriented businessman who in his previous tenures as prime minister focused on privatization , infrastructure development and deregulation . But his views alone wo n't carry the country towards the free market . Sharif will also need to strengthen his party 's links to economic and political stakeholders outside of Punjab , where the PML-N has a smaller presence than the other regional parties . A prime example of where Sharif 's outreach will be needed is in Karachi . The megacity contributes to over 20 % of the country 's GDP and is also home to a multi-billion dollar informal economy . These economic gains have been threatened by unprecedented violence between the Muttahida Quami Movement ( MQM ) , the Pakistan People 's Party ( PPP ) , and the Awami National Party ( ANP ) -- all of whom are looking to benefit from the financial spoils . Karachi 's economic environment has no doubt learned to adjust to the fluctuating security situation , but the national government can not afford to let it get worse . Fixing Karachi will require Sharif to garner the support of MQM , PPP , and ANP -- none of whom at this point look poised to join his government . Security is the other area where Sharif faces high expectations , but will be forced to be flexible and accommodating to competing interests . More than ever before , the Pakistani public , politicians and the military agree on the existential threat posed by the Pakistani Taliban . The military 's on again-off again campaign against these militants in the country 's Federally Administered Tribal Areas has failed to end violent attacks on ordinary citizens and government targets . The spike in attacks during the election campaign is evidence enough of that . Sharif will have to find his public voice on militancy , an issue he has been resoundingly silent on . This is n't surprising considering his own Punjab province is a hotbed of militant activity in the south . Part of the problem is that the PML-N-led government in Punjab has not taken aggressive legal or police action against militant groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi , Lashkar-e-Taiba , and Sipah-e-Sahaba , some of whom in recent months have been implicated for their involvement in major attacks outside of Punjab . The lack of action against these groups seems to have protected the PML-N against attacks during the campaign . There have also been fewer attacks within Punjab . Sharif can not pursue this informal arrangement at a national level . He will also have to get behind the military 's campaign against the Pakistani Taliban but has to be cautious in how forward he leans . Sharif could continue to protect Punjab at the expense of the country , or he could be bold and help the military wipe out the Pakistani Taliban -- either way , he still loses a little . Pakistanis deserve enormous credit for showing up in large numbers to vote in the face of such violence . Sharif and the PML-N should be congratulated on winning big , especially with so much hype in Punjab over Imran Khan , the famed politician and cricket star . But the high voter turnout and election victory just put Sharif back on the map . Based on the options he faces , there are plenty of reasons to be less sanguine on the prospects for quick and easy policy-making . It is now up to Sharif to figure out how to navigate the long road ahead . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Shamila N. Chaudhary .
Pakistan elects two-time former prime minister known for corruption and military coup . Big expectations for Nawaz Sharif and his party , Pakistan Muslim League -- Nawaz . Sharif must tackle economic challenges as well as security issues from Taliban .