"I had promised a free, fair, transparent and peaceful poll. I have kept my word," Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said on February 19 as the results of the election came in and the rout of the Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid (PML-Q) backed by him became evident.
According to results of 180 of 272 seats of the National Assembly that had come in, the late Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was leading with 61 seats. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was close behind with 56 seats, reported the Geo TV website.
The PML-Q trailed far behind with only 28 seats.
Musharraf told TV news channels: "There should be reconciliation, and nothing should be done in anyone's personal interest. I believe in politics of conciliation, not of confrontation."