Islamabad: The suspense over election results continues in Pakistan with Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidates leading the game of politics as of now.
Speculations simmer countrywide on who will become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan at a time when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo, Nawaz Sharif, has already claimed victory in the February 8 general elections.
Meanwhile, amid the Election Commission of Pakistan drawing flak over the delay in declaration of the results of the general elections, former PM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday released a 'victory speech' in his AI-enabled voice, saying that the 'London Plan' of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif failed with the massive turnout of voters on polling day, as he also claimed victory in the general elections.
According to Geo News' unofficial provisional results for 241 of 266 seats, independent candidates, largely backed by PTI, led with 97 seats. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which has emerged as the single largest party, trails with 72 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has 52. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamiat-e-Ulami-Faizal (JUI-F), and Balochistan National Party (BNP) are expected to win 15, 3, and 2 seats, respectively.
The counting for the elections held on Thursday is underway. Nawaz Sharif also announced his intention to form a united government with the help of his former allies - Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) amid a fractured mandate. Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met in Lahore on Friday. The meeting took place immediately after Nawaz declared victory in the general elections conducted the day before and urged his partners to form a coalition government.
Here are the latest updates:
- 9.40 PM
Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N, which has won 71 seats so far, holds party meeting on govt formation. In a statement and visuals of the meeting shared on its official X handle, PML-N quoted former PM and party chief Shehbaz Sharif saying "all political forces will have to unite for Pakistan." - 9.32 PM
Pakistan election results that have unfolded so far have thrown some major challenges for the country's political setup that had tried everything to bury Imran Khan's career. With massive rigging allegations and throttling of public opinion, the country is at the cusp of either a revival led by people's vote or an unworthy win for politics of power and corruption. Senior Journalist Sanjay Kapoor analyses Pakistan Army's role, Nawaz Sharif's shot at power and what it could mean for India. Read More... - 9.30 PM
Pakistan's Amid widespread allegations of rigging and manipulations in the national elections of Pakistan, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif might get a shot at power courtesy of the country’s army, ETV Bharat’s Aroonim Bhuyan writes... - 9.00 PM
Pakistan's army chief Gen Asim Munir has urged the country's polarised political leadership to form a "unified government of all democratic forces". He backed ex-premier Nawaz Sharif's plea to his rivals to help form a coalition government after the general elections appear to have produced a hung Parliament. - 8.15 PM
As votes are still being counted two days after the general election with a possibility of a hung Parliament in Pakistan, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Saturday said he anticipated a coalition government. Blocking the communication channels on Thursday, the polling day, had no political motive, Kakar said adding, that it was done only because of the security situation even when scores of parties accused the authorities of deliberately suspending the Internet that day. He said that he anticipated a coalition government, but it was up to the political parties to negotiate. - 7.45 PM
Pakistan's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has said that her country needs free and fair elections and urged the elected officials to accept the voters' decision with grace. The 26-year-old, who became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize when she was conferred the award in 2014, said, Pakistan needs free and fair elections, which includes transparency in counting votes and respect for the results. - 7.30 PM
The victory of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in Lahore's National Assembly seats was challenged in the Lahore High Court on Saturday alleging that the top poll body did not follow the correct procedure. Challenging the victory of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates in the Lahore High Court (LHC), several losing PTI-backed candidates claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared them winners on bogus result Form-47 instead of Form-45. - 6.30 PM
Amid suspense over the election results, internet users across Pakistan have reported X (formerly Twitter) is down across the country. Netblocks has also confirmed the disruption to the micro-blogging website. Reacting to it, Imran Khan's PTI called it 'shameful'. "This is absolutely shameful. After closing mobile services in Pakistan during election day, they have no blocked X in Pakistan because PTI was exposing the rigging," PTI tweeted. - 5.20 PM
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led by Imran Khan, has asked party workers and supporters to hold a protest on Sunday outside the offices of returning officers in constituencies where the poll results were being “withheld and delayed”. Khan was addressing the media on Saturday afternoon during which beseeched the Election Commission of the country to declare complete results by tonight. - 5.15 PM
Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir on Saturday called for a "unified" government and urged the political leadership to "rise above self-interests" and synergise efforts in governing and serving the people. Munir's statements came in the wake of the fact that two days after the voting for general elections was held, the country appeared to be headed to have a hung Parliament and a day after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who appeared to be enjoying the backing of the powerful military, called for a unity government. - 4.46 PM
Pakistan President Arif Alvi has said that the country could have avoided the crisis triggering by the delay in poll results if electronic voting machines (EVMs) were in use. In a post on X, Alvi wrote: "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." - 4.00 PM
A former lawmaker and noted Pukhtoon nationalist Mohsin Dawar was injured along with his supporters when police used force against them during a protest rally against alleged election rigging in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on Saturday, demonstrators said. Dawar, a former member of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), and others sustained injuries during the rally taken out to protest against the delay in results announcements in the North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan. - 3.35 PM
Respect the public mandate given to PTI by the people of Pakistan, says Imran Khan's party. - 3.30 PM
Pakistan on Saturday hit back at criticism over the conduct of its parliamentary elections, which were held amid sporadic militant attacks and an unprecedented stoppage of all mobile phone services. The strongly worded reaction from the Foreign Ministry insisted the vote was peaceful and successful. - 2.05 PM
At least three militants and a police officer were killed during a gunfight following an attack on a police mobile van in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. - 12.55 PM
An Anti-terrorism court has approved bail for Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in cases related to attacks on military installations in May 2023. ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder Khan after fulfilling a surety bond of Rs 0.1 million in all 12 cases, including the General Headquarters (Pakistan Army) and Army Museum attack. - 11.45 AM
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has led US lawmakers in alleging that the Pakistani military has been "rigging" the just-held general elections to "prop up" its candidate and deny the victory secured by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. - 10.55 AM
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir said that the country needs stable hands and added that a unified government of all democratic forces will adequately represent Pakistan's diverse political and pluralistic landscape. - 9.25 AM
A sizable segment of Balochistan's population voiced a vehement rejection of the electoral process through demonstrations and boycotts. - 7.25 AM
The spokesperson for the State Department, Mathew Miller on Friday said the US was looking for timely completion of the vote count and the declaration of the results of Pakistan's general elections, adding that the polling on Thursday included "undue restrictions" on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. - 7.05 AM
Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday released a 'victory speech' in his AI-enabled voice, saying that the 'London Plan' of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif failed with the massive turnout of voters on polling day. - 6.30 AM
The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, urged Pakistan authorities on Friday to uphold fundamental human rights, including a free and fair trial through the independent judicial system and also expressed concern over restrictions imposed on internet access on polling day and significant delays in election results. - 6.15 AM
The US State Department has condemned electoral violence and restrictions during the Pakistan elections and says that it looks forward for timely and complete results that reflect the "will of the Pakistani people."
