Pakistan election results 2024 Highlights: Police fire tear gas at Imran Khan supporters

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PPP President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday. The two parties have agreed "in principle to save the country from political instability."

The PML-N, which is all set to form the coalition government in Pakistan along with the PPP, on Sunday managed to secure the support of the first independent candidate backed by Imran Khan's party to increase its strength in Parliament. (PTI)

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Waseem Qadir, the candidate backed by Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who emerged victorious in Lahore's NA-121 constituency, has officially joined Nawaz Sharif's party Pakistan Muslim League (N), Geo News reported.

In a video shared by the party, Qadir, standing alongside PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz, declared, "I have come back to my home."

"Waseem Qadir, the successful independent candidate from National Assembly Constituency NA-121 Lahore, officially announced his joining of Pakistan Muslim League (N)," said PML-N in a post on X.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Pakistan courts have been flooded with petitions by losing candidates who challenged the provisional results in their constituencies within days after the highly polarised general elections in the country, it emerged on Sunday.

Though Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the single largest party in the February 8 elections, the number of independent candidates, a vast majority of them backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, were the single largest block of winners.

The PTI claimed that its supported candidates have won the maximum number of seats but the results were manipulated to deprive it of the majority, and in order to turn the tide, its losing candidates have thronged the courts.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Police used tear gas to scatter supporters of imprisoned former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday, following his party's call for protests outside election offices, alleging rigging in last week's national vote.

Clashes erupted in Rawalpindi, south of the capital, and Lahore in the east, while numerous other demonstrations occurred across the country without notable incidents. Law enforcement had previously issued warnings of strict actions against unauthorized gatherings, with no immediate reports of injuries resulting from the protests.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Imran Khan's PTI is facing difficulties in independently forming the government after hung results. Nawaz Sharif has already started reaching out to major parties for a coalition, and he received support from the influential Pakistan Army for a unity government.

The Express Tribune quoted Ahmed Bilal Mehboob from the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), saying that PTI appears unable to form a government independently. Mehboob explained that PTI might need to ally with major political parties like PML-N or PPP since it lacks the required numbers for a majority in the lower house of Parliament.

He detailed what would occur if PTI-affiliated independent candidates seek to rejoin PTI during the three-day post-election period. According to him, it is possible, but he emphasised that the process would be lengthy. It is mandatory for the party that independent candidates wish to join to have a party symbol.

PTI candidates contested as independents due to the Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan's directive not to use the party symbol, a cricket bat. Therefore, if they aim to rejoin PTI, the party must conduct intra-party elections to regain its symbol or choose a different one, Mehboob said.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleges that the results for at least 18 National Assembly seats were "falsely changed" by election officers, as reported by Dawn.

PTI's Secretary General, Omar Ayub, claimed that these seats, rightfully won by PTI, are being tampered with by corrupt bureaucrats.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Securing 75 seats, Nawaz Sharif's party may strike a deal with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which holds 53 seats. Together with smaller parties, they could form a coalition government.

In this arrangement, either Sharif or his brother may become the prime minister, and crucial roles are shared among different parties.

Notably, these two parties had previously governed together for 16 months until August, with Bhutto Zardari as the foreign minister and Sharif's brother, Shehbaz, as the prime minister.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE:

• Independent candidates affiliated with Imran Khan's PTI secure 93 out of 265 National Assembly seats.

• Nawaz Sharif's PML-N wins 75 seats in the National Assembly.

• Pakistan People's Party (PPP) secures 53 seats in the National Assembly.

• Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) of Urdu-speaking people who migrated from India during partition, got 17 seats.

• Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: “We aim to establish a strong alliance at the centre, ensuring representation from all provinces to strengthen the federation and Pakistan,” Azam Nazeer Tarar, former law minister and PML-N leader told reporter, reported Dawn.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Independent candidates supported by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have secured 93 out of 265 National Assembly seats, as per the final results tally from the election commission.

Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has won 75 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has secured 53.

The next step involves a prime ministerial candidate demonstrating a simple majority of 169 seats in the National Assembly. The Assembly comprises 336 seats, with 266 determined through direct voting, and 70 reserved seats allocated based on each party's strength in the house.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Pakistan's national election concluded without any party securing a parliamentary majority, marked by militant violence, political upheaval, and transparency concerns.

Former prime ministers and rivals, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, both claimed victory, heightening uncertainty in a country grappling with urgent challenges.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: The independents encounter a drawback in their efforts to establish a government as they are not qualified to be assigned any of the parliament's 70 reserved seats, which are distributed based on the party's strength in the final tally. Sharif's party could secure as many as 20 of these seats.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: PML-N's Punjab spokesperson, Uzma Bukhari, expressed confidence that her party could form a government in Punjab independently, saying “God willing, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, the path towards progress and development in Punjab will restart,” In a video shared on her party's official X handle, She said that no other party in Punjab could rival PML-N's victory.

Regarding Advocate Salman Akram Raja's petition against Awn Chaudhry of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party in the Lahore High Court, Bukhari deemed it "unjustified," suggesting that such matters should be addressed through election tribunals instead.

Bukhari accused PTI members of disseminating false victory messages on WhatsApp and to the media, only to later complain about rigging when faced with no other option. She asserted, "PML-N is a responsible party; we do not engage in deceit or propaganda."

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai addressed the media in Quetta, stating that the postponement of numerous election outcomes in Balochistan is attributed to logistical challenges, as reported by Dawn.

“When it’s freezing cold in some areas, it’s natural that results will be delayed because of logistical issues,” he said. “Even the election commission has said this.”

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced that it will launch protests in Manchester and Washington DC in the US against the ‘election fraud’ that led to delayed results of the general elections held on February 8.

The party's official handle took to X on Sunday to announce the protests, stating that they will initiate protests in Washington DC on Sunday and in Manchester on Monday.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Sadar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasir, representing the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N, has clinched victory on the NA-252 seat from Balochistan, securing 53,783 votes as per preliminary results Dawn reported quoting the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The closest contender is independent candidate Sardar Babar Khan Musakhel, who garnered 52,992 votes and finished as the runner-up.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: President of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) Punjab, Rana Sanaullah, stated that independents in 5 National Assembly and 1 Punjab Assembly seats have decided to join Nawaz Sharif led PML-N.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced its intention to form the government both at the national level and in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. They urged the election body to release complete election results by midnight or face protests in areas where results were still pending, according to news agency PTI.

Shortly after issuing this statement, PTI party workers in Peshawar and Karachi began loud protests, chanting slogans and waving party flags.

Two days after the polling, the election results remained incomplete, leading the country towards a potential hung Parliament or coalition government.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Former federal minister Firdous Ashiq Awan and 10 others have been charged for disrupting the polling process and ‘slapping’ a policeman who was on security duty at a polling station in Sialkot on February 8, according to a Dawn report.

As per the filed FIR quoted by the Dawn, which was based on a complaint from Amjad Ali, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Sialkot Sadar police station, the incident occurred while the complainant was performing election duties at the Government Boys High School Gana Kalan polling station on the voting day.

It further said that Firdous Ashiq Awan, a candidate of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) from National Assembly Constituency NA-70, arrived at the polling station accompanied by her supporters and allegedly began unlawfully interfering in the polling process.

The complainant mentioned that when he requested the IPP leader to refrain from interfering in the polling process, she reportedly slapped him and used derogatory language against him, Dawn report added.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: PTI leader Hammad Azhar has urged civil servants to uphold loyalty to the Constitution and the people of Pakistan by abstaining from involvement in post-election rigging.

In a video message he posted on X Hammad emphasised the expectation that civil servants and police officers refrain from participating in or facilitating election rigging, labelling such actions as egregious crimes. He urged against committing such acts.

Hammad called for the immediate resignation of the Punjab police inspector general, alleging that, under their supervision, numerous homes were raided, individuals were killed in police custody, and many innocent people were unjustly imprisoned.

The PTI leader commended returning officers and district police heads who refused to engage in rigging, asserting that they are safeguarding the people of Pakistan's mandate.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Pakistan President Arif Alvi, addressing the ongoing delay in the general election results, stated that if Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been used, the current election crisis could have been avoided.

“Remember 'our' long struggle for Electronic Voting Machines. EVM had paper ballots that could be counted separately by hand (like it is being done today) BUT it also had a simple electronic calculator/counter of each vote button pressed. Totals of every candidate would have been available & printed within five minutes of closing of poll. The entire effort that included more than 50 meetings at the Presidency alone was scuttled. Had EVMs been there today, my dear beloved Pakistan would have been spared this crisis,” he wrote on X.

Pakistan election results 2024 LIVE: Pakistan with a population of 241 million, cast their votes on February in the general elections amidst ongoing economic challenges, militant violence, and significant political polarisation.

As the country awaits the release of election results, the former Prime Minister and jailed Imran Khan's PTI has urged for a nationwide protest on Sunday to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. Independent candidates currently hold the lead with 100 seats. Read all the latest updates here