Polling staff count ballots at a polling station after polls closed, during the general election, in Lahore, Pakistan. Photo: Reuters
Independent candidates backed by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan were leading Pakistan's national election results Friday (9 February), a day after sporadic violence, allegations of a preordained outcome and a cellphone service shutdown overshadowed the vote.
Of the 122 National Assembly results announced by the country's election oversight body after an hourslong delay, candidates backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have won 49 seats. It's a surprise given claims by the imprisoned Khan, his supporters and a national rights body of pre-poll rigging and manipulation.
The Pakistan Muslim League party of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had 39 seats, while the Pakistan People's Party of political dynasty scion Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had 30. All results were expected by Friday night.
If no party wins an outright majority, the one with the most seats can try to form a coalition government. Pakistan's deeply divided political climate, however, is unlikely to produce a coalition pulling together for the betterment of the country, which is grappling with high inflation, year-round energy outages, and militant attacks.
Khan, a former cricketer turned politician with a significant grassroots following, was disqualified from running in Thursday's election because of criminal convictions he contends were politically motivated. He was imprisoned in the run-up to the election.
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