Islamabad (Pakistan): Amid allegations of massive rigging, Pakistan's election commission finally declared the result of Thursday's general elections on Sunday with independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) winning 101 seats.
The unusual delay in the announcement of results vitiated the atmosphere as several parties cried foul play and some resorted to protests. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats. The result of NA 88 in Khushab in Punjab province was withheld by the ECP due to complaints of fraud and it would be announced after redressing the grievances of the aggrieved. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate.
Independent candidates, a vast majority of them backed by Khan's PTI, secured 101 seats in the National Assembly. They were followed by three-time former Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, which technically is the single largest party in Parliament.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of Bilawal Zardari Bhutto got 54 seats, and the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) of Urdu-speaking people who migrated from India during partition, got 17 seats. Other smaller parties won the rest of the 12 seats. To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the National Assembly.
Overall, 169 seats are needed to secure a simple majority out of a total of 336 seats in the National Assembly, which include the reserved slots for women and minorities which will be decided later. Meanwhile, the complete results of the three provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have been announced but the results of the three constituencies of the Balochistan assembly were still pending.
In Punjab's 296 contested seats, independents got 138 seats, closely followed by PML-N with 137 and other parties getting 21 seats. In Sindh's total 130 contested seats, results of 129 were announced while the ECP ordered a re-poll in one constituency due to corruption. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a total of 113 seats were up for grabs, and results of 112 seats had been announced and withheld the outcome on one seat. Earlier, elections on two seats were postponed before election day due to the deaths of the candidates.
Here are the live updates:
- 10.30 PM
Political parties in Pakistan have intensified their efforts for the formation of a coalition government after it became clear that the coup-prone country faced a hung Parliament after general elections marred by allegations of rigging. Read More... - 10.05 PM
PTI supporters were stopped and detained at several locations across Pakistan for protesting against the alleged rigging of polls.Security personnel detain a supporter of Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's during a protest against the delaying result of parliamentary election by Pakistan Election Commission, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Security personnel try to stop a protest of supporters of imprisoned Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Supporters of imprisoned Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party chant slogans during a protest against the delaying result of parliamentary election by Pakistan Election Commission, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
- 10.00 PM
Bhutto-Zardari's PPP and Sharifs' PML-N have agreed “in principle to save the country from political instability", the PML-N said in a statement posted on X. The post also shared the visuals of the senior leadership of the two parties meeting in Lahore’s at Bilawal Bhutto's House. “In the meeting, the overall situation of the country and the political cooperation in the future were discussed in detail. The leaders agreed to cooperate politically to bring the country to political stability,” the post read. - 8.00 PM
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. Read More... - 7.51 PM
Shortly after Nawaz Sharif's PML-N claimed it had reached a "principle agreement" on a coalition with the Muttahida Qomi Movement Pakistan, the latter said that discussions during a meeting with PML-N leaders did not involve any talks regarding the formation of the next government, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. - 6.41 PM
Pakistan President Arif Alvi took to social media platform X to congratulate the country's citizens for turning up to vote "in huge numbers". - 6.30 PM
Hammad Azhar, Secretary General & Acting President PTI Punjab, has asked all party supporters to protest non-violently and ensure not to clash with the security forces. "Remain calm & peaceful. Authorities want scenes of clashes & violence. But we are a peaceful party committed to the rule of law & democratic process. Back off if they provoke you. Do not clash with them. Capture the footage," Azhar said in a post on X. - 6.00 PM
Imran Khan's party has claimed a man was arrested in Lahore for 'waving party flag'. Sharing a video to its official X handle, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that the Lahore police had arrested a man for allegedly waving the party flag from his vehicle. - 4.25 PM
Nawaz Sharif's PML-N has reached a "principle agreement" with the Muttahida Qomi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) for the formation of a coalition government, as per a statement released by the PML-N, Dawn reported. PML-N has 75 seats and MQM-P secured 17 seats. - 4.20 PM
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has called for peaceful protests across the nation against Returning Officers (ROs) on Sunday, the country's media reported. He said that the people of Pakistan had complete trust in former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision of "slavery unacceptable" in the aftermath of the February 8 polls. - 3.36 PM
Imran Khan-led PTI says “shameful” attempts were made to create 'PDM 2' in the country. PDM or Pakistan Democratic Movement was a coalition of 11 political parties set up in 2020 to oust the then Prime Minister Imran Khan. In a statement released on X, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said it completely rejects the efforts of creating a "shameful drama like PDM-2 in the country by trampling on the intentions of the people". The party also demanded the immediate resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commission members. “The economic and administrative disaster that Pakistan is suffering today is the responsibility of PDM, an incompetent, worthless and rejected group of criminals," the party said. - 2.20 PM
Pakistan's election commission on Sunday declared the final result of Thursday's general elections in which independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party got the biggest piece of the cake by winning 101 seats. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats. - 1.05 PM
Preliminary results as reported by Dawn, citing the Election Commission of Pakistan, show that Adar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasir, running for the NA-252 seat from Balochistan and led by Nawaz Sharif, has won with 53,783 votes. With 52,992 votes and a second-place result, independent candidate Sardar Babar Khan Musakhel is the closest competitor. - 12.25 PM
According to Rana Sanaullah, President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Punjab, independents holding one seat in the Punjab Assembly and five seats in the National Assembly have chosen to join the PML-N. - 12.13 PM
The courts in Pakistan have been flooded with petitions as candidates, mostly backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), challenged the results of Thursday's general elections, alleging rigging. Most of the petitions were filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), while two PTI-backed candidates moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the results, and at least three petitions were filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC). The Election Commission is still to announce the full results of the polls. Read More... - 11.14 AM
Ahead of the protests, a large force of police and water cannons were stationed at Lahore's Liberty Chowk. - 11.12 AM
Unofficial results by the Election Commission of Pakistan so far-
PML-N candidate Muhammad Bilal Yamin won PP-6 (Rawalpindi I) in Murree
Shaukat Raja won PP-9 (Rawalpindi-III) in Gujar Khan
Naeem Ejaz won PP-10 (Rawalpindi IV)
Imran Ilyas Ch bagged PP-11 (Rawalpindi V) in Taxila
Mohsin Ayub Khan clinched PP-12 (Rawalpindi VI) in Taxila
Malik Iftikhar Ahmad won PP-14 (Rawalpindi VIII)
Malik Mansoor Afsar bagged PP-15 (Rawalpindi IX)
Ziaullah Shah won PP-16, (Rawalpindi X)
Abdul Latif won PP-17
- 10.57 AM
Several Pakistani ministers have been charged for allegedly interfering in the election process and hitting a policeman conducting security at a Sialkot polling place on February 8. According to a formal complaint filed in the case, the complainant was carrying out his election duties at the Government Boys High School Gana Kalan polling place when a political figure came and started interfering in the process when he tried to stop her, she slapped him and used abusive words against him. - 10.37 AM
Following a poll that produced no clear winner and forced the military's preferred party to form a coalition to govern, Pakistan's army chief on Saturday urged rival lawmakers to display "maturity and unity". After the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lost its chance to create a majority government, the nation is now faced with days of political horse-trading by independent candidates loyal to the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan. - 10.23 AM
Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party of former prime minister Imran Khan, gathered in Peshawar for a protesr, calling for free and fair election results. - 10.08 AM
At a combined demonstration calling for free and fair results of the general elections in Karachi, supporters of the political and religious parties Jamat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are seen holding banners with a portrait of the former prime minister Imran Khan. - 9.40 AM
Islamabad implemented Section 144 on Sunday. The local police said that any unlawful gatherings of persons would face legal prosecution. "Some people are inciting illegal gatherings around the Election Commission and other government institutions. It should be noted that inciting to gather is also a crime," Islamabad Police tweeted. - 9.29 AM
The PML-N invited a MQM-P delegation to Lahore for a discussion about their post-election plan.
(Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) is a social liberal, Muhajir nationalist, and secularist political party in Pakistan). - 9.18 AM
Three newly elected independent members of the National Assembly announced their decision to support the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as reported by ANI, quoting The Express Tribune. The article claims that Barrister Aqeel, Raja Khurram Nawaz, and Mian Khan Bugti have all publicly declared their intention to join the PML-N, adding to the party's growing list of elected members in the National Assembly. - 9.00 AM
In response to suspected election manipulation on February 8, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has mandated re-election in a few polling places for NA-88 (Khushab II), PS-18 (Ghotki I), and PK-90 (Kohat I), Dawn reported. A mob allegedly set polling materials at the returning officer's office on fire, prompting the ECP spokesperson to declare re-polling at 26 NA-88 polling places. The next election is slated for February 15. - 8.58 AM
The Deobandi Sunni political party in Pakistan, JUI-F [Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), said that it will "launch a protest campaign" against the "rigging," calling on the workers to hold a sit-in on the major thoroughfares throughout Sindh and shut down the province's vital transportation connections. - 8.40 AM
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Gohar Ali Khan claims president Aivi will invite the party to form a government. - 8.17 AM
As per reports, PPP's Asif Ali Zardari keen on becoming President without support from PML -N's Nawaz Sharif. - 7.40 AM
Amid the confusion in Pakistan over the delay in poll results, with reports stating that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidates either in the lead or winning, several moved courts with accusations that defeat happened due to riggin.
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