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Pakistan election results 2024 Highlights: Imran Khan to decide next PM, claims PTI chief
Pakistan election results 2024 Highlights: Independent candidates, most of them backed jailed former PM Imran Khan's party, are on the top with 99 seats.
Pakistan election results 2024 Highlights: No clear victor has emerged from the divisive elections in Pakistan as the slow vote-counting process neared completion on Saturday. According to PTI, which cited the Election Commission of Pakistan, the counting of 255 out of 266 seats of the National Assembly has been completed and the independent candidates, a vast majority of them backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, were on the top with 101 seats.
...Read MoreFormer prime minister Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has won 73 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 54, Muttahida Qaumi Movement with 17 and other seats going to smaller parties.
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The success of PTI-backed Independent candidates disrupted Sharif’s plans — and the backing of the security establishment — prompting him to announce efforts on Friday to establish a coalition government.
Just a day earlier, Sharif had adamantly dismissed the notion of a coalition, expressing his desire for a single party to govern Pakistan for a full five-year term after casting his vote.
Key Highlights:
- Earlier, Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir congratulated the country for the “successful conduct” of its national elections. He said that the country needed “stable hands” to move on from the politics of "anarchy and polarisation".
- Munir said that he “wishes that these elections bring in political and economic stability and prove to be the harbinger of peace and prosperity” for Pakistan.
- Both former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan have declared victory in the elections.
- The US, Britain and the European Union, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about Pakistan's electoral process, urging a probe into reported irregularities.
- Interim PTI chairman Gohar Khan has claimed that candidates backed by his party are ahead on 170 National Assembly seats out of the 265.
Pakistan election results LIVE: Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari hold a meeting in Lahore: Report
Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, the leaders of PML-N and PPP respectively, reportedly convened for a meeting in Lahore on Friday, sources from the PPP told Dawn.
This gathering occurred shortly after Nawaz Sharif declared triumph in the recent general elections and extended an invitation to his allies to establish a coalition government.
Both the PPP and PML-N were integral components of the PDM government, succeeding the PTI administration following Imran Khan's removal from the prime ministerial position in 2022.
Pakistan election LIVE | Analysis: Pakistan may face more economic misery if election result unclear
The possibility of a political deadlock in Pakistan, potentially leading to delays in both reforms and vital foreign funding, has triggered a sell-off in its global bonds and heightened analysts' concerns about further economic woes for the nation.
Following Thursday's election, the results revealed a surprisingly strong performance by independent candidates, primarily supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People's Party headed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari trailing behind.
Although Sharif has laid claim to victory, his party falls significantly short of the required number of seats to independently form a government, Reuters reported.
The election, which itself faced considerable delays, arrives at a crucial juncture.
Pakistan election results LIVE: Fudging fears in Pakistan election but Imran Khan's rebels defy odds
Pakistan's recent general elections resulted in a divided mandate on Friday, as independent candidates supported by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party clinched remarkable victories, edging ahead of Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
Despite the elections being perceived as mostly transparent and equitable on Thursday, the announcement of results faced unusual delays, fueling accusations of manipulation and ballot tampering. Even on Friday evening, more than 24 hours after polling concluded, results were still being reported gradually.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan's tally at 11 PM, out of the 136 seats tabulated from the 265 contested, independent candidates backed by Khan had secured 49, PML-N 42, and PPP 34. However, Geo News, a prominent TV channel, recorded 237 seats counted by the same time, with independent candidates (largely supported by PTI) leading in 95 seats, followed by 67 for PML-N and 52 for PPP.
Pakistan election LIVE: US, UK, and EU call for probe into reported irregularities in Pakistan election
The United States, Britain, and the European Union on Friday separately expressed concerns about Pakistan's electoral process in the wake of a vote on Thursday and urged a probe into reported irregularities.
The main battle was between former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party and candidates backed by ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. Both declared victory separately, Reuters reports.
Elections were held for 265 seats in the National Assembly, and a political party needs 133 seats for a simple majority.
The U.S. and the EU both mentioned allegations of interference, including arrests of activists, and added that claims of irregularities, interference, and fraud should be fully investigated.
Pakistan election results LIVE: Pakistan ex-PMs, bitter rivals Sharif and Khan both claim poll win
On Friday, former Pakistani prime ministers and long-standing rivals Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan each proclaimed victory in elections characterized by delayed results and militant assaults, plunging the country into further political disarray.
While Sharif's party secured the most seats by a single party in Thursday's election, supporters of imprisoned Khan, compelled to run as independents after his party was barred from the polls, clinched the highest number of seats overall, Reuters reported.
Sharif announced his party's intention to engage with other factions to establish a coalition government, recognizing its failure to secure a clear majority independently.
This declaration from Sharif came after over three-quarters of the 265 seats had disclosed results, marking more than 24 hours since polling concluded on Thursday amidst militant attacks that claimed 28 lives.
