ISLAMABAD - Pakistan was struggling to digest the shocking victory of Republican Donald Trump in the US presidential elections on Wednesday thanks to his anti-Muslims rhetoric over the weeks leading up the polls.

Officials at the Foreign Ministry told The Nation, the result of the US elections was “totally unexpected” for Pakistan.

The officials said it was hard to digest Trump’s victory but “we have accepted it and hope to work with the new administration.”

“Hillary Clinton would have been a lot better for Pakistan but it is of course the American people’s decision. We will try to strengthen ties with the Republican president,” an official said.

Trump had in a recent interview termed Pakistan “a vital problem” for the US.

“Because they have a thing called nuclear weapons,” he said, adding, “They have to get a better hold of the situation.”

Trump had called for an immediate pull-back on aid to Pakistan unless it did away with its nuclear weapons.

“They are not friends of ours. (There are) plenty of other terrorists in Pakistan, we know that,” he had said.

After the American people’s verdict in favour of Trump, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quick to congratulate him on his “historic victory”.

Sharif said Trump’s election was “indeed the triumph of the American people and their enduring faith in the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights and free enterprise.”

“Most importantly, your momentous success is a testimony to the confidence that the people of the United States have reposed in your leadership, vision and commitment to serve your great country,” the premier said in his message to the president-elect.

He recalled Pakistan’s past seven decades of strategic partnership, “rooted in the shared ideals of freedom, democracy, mutual respect and commonality of interests” with the US.

“Our deep-seated conviction that a strong partnership between the two countries remains critical to promoting and sustaining peace, security and stability in the wider region, continue to underpin the resilience in Pak-US ties,” he said.

The premier re-affirmed his government's commitment to further “strengthening and deepening of our relations, in a manner truly reflective of the aspirations of our two nations. I am looking forward to closely working with you, to bring our two countries closer and making our partnership an important vehicle for the realisation of peace, security and prosperity in the region and beyond.”

Trump won the US presidential election in a stunning victory that sent shockwaves around the world.

The Republican took the key-swing states of Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, as he marched towards the White House.

Trump pledged he would be “President for all Americans” in his New York victory speech. 

He said he was “reaching out” to the people who had not supported him to “unify the country.”

After a bitter campaign in which fiery anti-Muslim rhetoric was central to Trump’s populist strategy, many Asian followers of Islam were dumbfounded that Americans had chosen him to lead the world’s greatest power.

With markets in a tailspin and the world looking on in shock, there was growing anxiety in Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh --- home to more than a third of the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims - about what his dramatic election win would mean for the Islamic world.

Worried followers of the faith listed a litany of problems for Muslims they believed would come with a Trump presidency - from the billionaire following through on a pledge to ban Muslims from entering the US, to a potential surge in extremism driven by tougher American policies.

Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto took to the social networking site Twitter and felicitated Donald Trump for winning the United States presidential elections.

He claimed his party can save the nation from getting “trumped” in 2018 elections.

In a chain of tweets, Bilalwal said that, “Islam is a peaceful religion that teaches us to love and pray. We still welcome Trump‘s tenure despite his hateful speeches.”

The leader bluntly said that, “My name is Bilawal. I am a Muslim, Pakistani and citizen of the world.”

He also wished US presidential elections candidate Hillary Clinton all the best in future for whatever she chooses next.

Former Pakistan ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman, now a senator, said Trump was a bit of a wild card when it came to predictably.

“Pakistan obviously cannot rule out engaging with whomever America elects but his anti-Muslim rhetoric may cast a shadow on relations in times of uncertainty,” she said.

 The PPP lawmaker said much will hinge on how the new administration shapes policy and what they say after taking oath.

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan believed Pakistanis should come out of the US elections and concentrate on their own country.

“It is high time Pakistanis stopped worrying about elections abroad and focused on putting our own house in order,” he said.

Others like former President Pervez Musharraf though, expressed optimism and said south-Asian tensions can be subsided by Trump.

“I hope he (Donald Trump) will focus keenly to bring peace and stability around the world and demonstrate deliberate leadership in resolving the conflicts in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent,” he wrote in a social media post.

“We must trust and work together to crush terrorism and eliminate extremism from a position of strength,” Musharraf added.

PTI lawmaker Shireen Mazari said one thing that might be impacted upon under Trump was Syria policy.

“More US-Russia coop against IS as focus rather than US focus on Assad removal,” she predicted.

Her colleague, Dr Arif Alvi said Trump’s win would bring honesty to US politics.

“Whatever they were doing covertly now shall be overt. All prejudices and biases out in the open,” he added.

Former ambassador Syeda Abida Hussain said all polls were pointing towards Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president of the US.

“Pakistan will need to work with Trump. We have no other option,” she remarked.

Known cleric Tahir Ashrafi hoped Trump’s anti-Muslims rant would only be political statements. “We hope that Trump’s remarks against Muslims were only to boost his campaign,” he said.