Pakistan Election Result 2024 Highlights: Ex premier Imran Khan’s party nominates Omar Ayub as PM candidate

Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) looks set to take over as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, as his party secured an alliance with other players to achieve the necessary numbers.

Shehbaz’s elevation has caused some disquiet within the PML-N, and even set off speculations that Nawaz’s political career might be over, something his daughter Maryam was quick to quash. But why has he been named the PM candidate instead of his more experienced brother, Nawaz?

This week’s story from Pakistan is not about who might win the national and provincial assembly elections there; it centres on army chief General Asim Munir, who is trying to consolidate his power. It does not really matter who Munir “selects” to run the front office (as the prime minister of the government). The fact is that Munir has put himself fully in charge of Pakistan.

Having gambled big to put down the immensely popular Imran Khan, rearrange the political field, and push for major economic reform, Munir does not look like a man who will walk into the sunset when his term ends in late 2025. Like many of the previous chiefs, General Munir would want to stick around. 

Read the opinion by C Raja Mohan here

Pakistan said the recently held elections are its internal affair and asserted that any step that it takes is in conformity with its own constitutional obligations and not influenced by external advice. Several countries, think tanks, international media organisations, and even the UN have called out the alleged irregularities during the polling day on February 8.

Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan is a democratic country and millions of voters participated in the general elections. “Pakistan takes its constitutional obligations seriously and its people are entitled to enjoy their right to freedom and democracy. Any step that Pakistan takes in this regard is in conformity with its own constitutional obligations and not influenced by external advice,” she asserted.

The Pakistan Tehreek-Insaaf (PTI) party run by former Prime Minister Imran Khan has nominated party general secretary Omar Ayub as its candidate for prime minister, another party leader said.

Independent candidates backed by jailed former premier Imran Khan have won 92 seats in last week's election, making them the largest group, but they cannot form a government on their own, having run as individuals and not a party. 

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has nominated Omar Ayub as the party's PM candidate, as per local media. The nomination was done after consulting Khan at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where he is currently housed. 

Amid criticism from party workers on Nawaz Sharif stepping aside to let his brother Shehbaz Sharif become the next PM, PML-N has said that Nawaz will "supervise" the federal and Punjab matters. Nawaz's daughter Maryam Nawaz is set to become Punjab province's next CM. 

PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari has alleged that jailed ex-PM Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi, who has been convicted in an "un-Islamic marriage" case, is being denied basic prisoner's right, including the right to meet with her family.

At least two people were killed and 14 others injured in an armed fight between PPP and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) supporters amid the recounting of votes at a booth in Balochistan's Hub city, reported Dawn.

"BAP’s Balochistan chapter president Sardar Mohammad Saleh Bhootani [had] claimed victory on the Hub seat (PB-21) by obtaining 30,­910 votes according to unofficial results against PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri, who challenged the result and sought a recount of votes. However, on the PPP candidate’s complaint, the election commission held the result of PB-21 and ordered a recount of votes," said the report, adding that the related clash outside the booth resulted in gunfire.

Asif Ali Zardari, who is now slated to be the President of Pakistan in the PML-N-PPP coalition government, has a colourful history with the now-allies Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. 

In 2017, Zardari had claimed that the duo had tried to assassinate him twice. “The Sharif brothers – former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his younger brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif -twice planned my murder in captivity in 1990s,” Zardari said while speaking to party workers at Bilawal House Lahore in October 2017. 

He said that he had refused Nawaz's attempts to contact him, adding, “I have not yet forgotten what they (Sharifs) have done to Benazir Bhutto (his wife) and me. We forgave them and signed Charter of Democracy, but still Mian sahib (Nawaz) betrayed me and went to court in memogate in order to label me a traitor.” (Read more)

The coalition government of PML-N and PPP will remain weak, said Akbar Ahmed, Professor at the American University in Washington DC, and a former Pakistani Ambassador to the UK & Ireland, speaking to DW News. 

Pakistan Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Pakistan’s fragile democratic process has delivered yet another varied and tumultuous result. A hung parliament has confounded pollsters and generals alike, setting the scene for some familiar skullduggery ahead. The expectation is that a coalition might be stitched between the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N and the Bhutto-Zardari-led PPP under the watchful eye of the military. Yet, with neither party being the largest in parliament, whether this outcome genuinely reflects popular aspirations remains to be seen. What is certain though is that stability in Pakistan is of profound importance, not just domestically but beyond its shores.

A few immediate trends can be discerned from the verdict. First, the results do not point to any surge for PML-N across the electorate. Supporters had hoped that Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming after several years in exile would galvanise the public. But a tally of approximately 75 seats out of 265 is hardly convincing. The party did well in its traditional sphere of influence in Punjab but it wasn’t as dominant as before. It fared poorly in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Read more)

Pakistan Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Pakistan’s fragile democratic process has delivered yet another varied and tumultuous result. A hung parliament has confounded pollsters and generals alike, setting the scene for some familiar skullduggery ahead. The expectation is that a coalition might be stitched between the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N and the Bhutto-Zardari-led PPP under the watchful eye of the military. Yet, with neither party being the largest in parliament, whether this outcome genuinely reflects popular aspirations remains to be seen. What is certain though is that stability in Pakistan is of profound importance, not just domestically but beyond its shores.

A few immediate trends can be discerned from the verdict. First, the results do not point to any surge for PML-N across the electorate. Supporters had hoped that Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming after several years in exile would galvanise the public. But a tally of approximately 75 seats out of 265 is hardly convincing. The party did well in its traditional sphere of influence in Punjab but it wasn’t as dominant as before. It fared poorly in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Read more)

Allegations of rigging and result manipulation marr Pakistan’s February 8 election results. Raoof Hasan, close Imran Khan aide and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary, tweeted that Imran’s “mandate has been stolen in the dark of the night”.

At the heart of the controversy have been Forms 45 and 47, meant to provide official documentation of election results. What are these forms? Why are they important? And what is the controversy surrounding them? Read here. 

Former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is set for a second term at the top role after his party, Pakistan People's Party (PPP), allied with Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to form a government at the Centre, reported local media. It was earlier reported that Shehbaz Sharif is expected to become Pakistan's next prime minister.

The PML-N and PPP have been joined by the MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP, and BAP to form a coalition government in the Centre on the pattern of the last government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). 

Whoever wins the polls will find a daunting task ahead due to the dwindling economy and deteriorating security situation. Pakistan has been relying on bailouts to prop up its foreign exchange reserves and avoid default, with the International Monetary Fund and wealthy allies like China and Saudi Arabia financing the country to the tune of billions of dollars. Pakistanis grapple with a soaring cost of living, enduring gas outages overnight and hours-long electricity blackouts.

Pakistan’s more than two-decades-old fight against terrorism is also unraveling as the rebels have resurged since 2021 after the Afghan Taliban came to power. The new government will find it tougher to deal with the militancy by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch nationalists.

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of former premier Nawaz Sharif, is expected to become Pakistan's next prime minister as a post-poll alliance of leading political parties led by them struck a deal to form a coalition government after last week's elections produced a split mandate.

The surprise move means the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan will not be in power, despite independent candidates backed by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) winning the maximum number of seats in Parliament in the February 8 elections marred by allegations of rigging.

Hours after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif nominated his younger brother Shehbaz for the post of prime minister, his daughter Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday sought to rebuff the impression that her father has quit active politics.

“If it is being deduced that Nawaz Sharif is avoiding politics by not accepting the post of Prime Minister, then there is no truth in it. In the next 5 years, Nawaz will not only participate in active politics but also oversee the PML-N-led governments in Punjab and at the Centre,” Maryam, the PML-N senior vice president, said in a post on X.

"In the three governments of Nawaz Sharif, the people gave a clear majority and he has made it clear in his election speeches that he will not be a part of any coalition government," she further wrote in a post in Urdu.

Jamaat-i-Islami declines Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s offer to form a coalition government.

As the outcome of the Pakistan election becomes clearer, a vexed question is whom does New Delhi talk to in Pakistan? It may be futile to engage with the civilian government. In realpolitik terms, this means the most effective person to talk to is Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir — who wields influence over the political actors.

A new government in Delhi in May will have to take a long and hard look if it should continue with the doctrine of indifference or reopen channels of communication with the GHQ in Rawalpindi.

Read more here

Pakistan’s fragile democratic process has delivered yet another varied and tumultuous result. A hung parliament has confounded pollsters and generals alike, setting the scene for some familiar skullduggery ahead. Whether this outcome genuinely reflects popular aspirations remains to be seen. What is certain though is that stability in Pakistan is of profound importance, not just domestically but beyond its shores.

The absurdist nature of Pakistani politics was laid threadbare in an outcome where the largest party in the election was not even formally recognised as a party on the ballot; where the largest block of winners were independent candidates who everyone knew were not independent at all. 

Read the Indian Express Opinion here

In Pakistan, the party of former prime minister Imran Khan has announced plans to try to form a government, following disputed elections. The chairman of Khan's PTI party said it started by allying with a small party. 

The province of Balochistan is seeing numerous protests over alleged rigging of the election results, reported the Press Trust of India.

The Balochistan National Party (Mengal), National Party (NP), Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) have been jointly holding protests since Saturday in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan province against the outcome of the February 8 polls. 

Khushal Khan Kakar of the PKMAP told the media today that the blockade would continue until the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered a recount in all those constituencies where massive alleged rigging has taken place in the province. “The Baloch people are angry and frustrated over the electoral injustice done in the name of free and fair elections,” Kakar said, as per the PTI report.

Pakistan's benchmark share index rose 2% today, according to the Karachi stock exchange website. This comes a day after former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was nominated as the country's next premier to lead an alliance formed between different parties, reported Reuters.

PTI leader Raoof Hasan said today that jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s “mandate has been stolen in the dark of the night”.

"Pakistan is being put on road to further destabilisation," he wrote on X, adding, "...power must pass on to those whom the people have chosen as their leaders."

The coalition government led by PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif can comfortably cross the simple majority mark in the National Assembly, as per a Dawn report. 

The coalition government, comprising PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP and BAP leaders, command 152 seats between them, as per the Election Commission of Pakistan data. With the addition of 60 women and 10 minority seats in their tally, the group can easily cross the 169-seat simple majority mark, said the local media report. The question remains on whether they can cobble together a two-third majority of 224-seats. 

Former Pakistani diplomat and political analyst Zafar Hilaly, in an interview with The Express Tribune, said that he does not see the coalition government that is being currently set up lasting for a long time. Here's what he had to say.

Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to become Pakistan's new prime minister, is set to form a coalition government soon.

“Today we have united to tell the nation that we all accept the split mandate. I am thankful to Zardari and Bilawal (Bhutto) that they decided for their party to vote for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N),” he said in a press briefing. 

Shehbaz Sharif has met with Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan Peoples Party, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P)  at the residence of Shujaat Hussain of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) for a consultative meeting and Tuesday night and agreed on government formation.

Jailed former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, in a message on X, said that he has instructed his party PTI against engaging with PPP, PML-N and MQM, whom he accused of "robbing people's mandate."

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday indicated it would support former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s party to form a minority government, seeking to end a stalemate after inconclusive elections in the nuclear-armed nation.

But the conditions to join forces did not bode well for a stable or strong administration in the world’s second-largest Muslim country, especially with PPP saying it would not join the government.

Pakistan Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Pakistan’s fragile democratic process has delivered yet another varied and tumultuous result. A hung parliament has confounded pollsters and generals alike, setting the scene for some familiar skullduggery ahead. The expectation is that a coalition might be stitched between the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N and the Bhutto-Zardari-led PPP under the watchful eye of the military. Yet, with neither party being the largest in parliament, whether this outcome genuinely reflects popular aspirations remains to be seen. What is certain though is that stability in Pakistan is of profound importance, not just domestically but beyond its shores.

A few immediate trends can be discerned from the verdict. First, the results do not point to any surge for PML-N across the electorate. Supporters had hoped that Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming after several years in exile would galvanise the public. But a tally of approximately 75 seats out of 265 is hardly convincing. The party did well in its traditional sphere of influence in Punjab but it wasn’t as dominant as before. It fared poorly in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Read more)

PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, who was widely expected to be the next Prime Minister of Pakistan, has instead nominated his brother, former PM Shehbaz Sharif to lead the next coalition government, as per the party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb.

She added that Nawaz's daughter and party's senior vice president Maryam Nawaz has been nominated for the post of Punjab Chief Minister.

Pakistan need to respect the will of the people and ensure a transparent election process, the White House has said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking to reporters at her daily news conference on Tuesday, said that US President Joe Biden is aware of the situation. "The President is very much aware [of the situation]. Millions of Pakistanis turned out to vote last week, including record numbers of Pakistani women, members of religious and ethnic minority groups, and young voters," she said.

"So, certainly, we congratulate the Pakistani people for participating in last week’s elections — including poll workers, civil society members, and journalists and election observers who have protected Pakistan’s democratic and electoral institutions," she said. 

"And so, we are — we are proud to stand with likeminded democracies, as we consistently convey clearly, both publicly and privately, to the Pakistani government and across the Pakistani political spectrum the need to respect the will of the Pakistani people and ensure a transparent election process.  It is critical, and it is obviously important," she added. 

President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif announced from the official X handle of the party that Maryam Nawaz Sharif shall be the candidate of PML-N for the post of Chief Minister of Punjab. 

PML-N posted on the social media X today from their official handle about an important consultative meeting of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and MQM leaders in Islamabad. The delegation was led by MQM convener Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Pakistan Muslim League (N) President Shehbaz Sharif was present. Senior leaders of Muslim League (N) Ishaq Dar, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan were also present in the meeting and both parties have agreed to move forward with mutual cooperation.

In a further setback to Imran Khan, an independent lawmaker backed by his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) on Tuesday joined the PML-N led by ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, as reported by PTI.  Barrister Aqeel Malik, who won as PTI backed independent candidate from National Assembly Constituency NA-54, joined the Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the presence of party president and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. Independent candidates, mostly backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's PTI party, won 101 seats in the 266-member National Assembly, followed by former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 54 seats.

The true protagonists in the February 8 national polls in Pakistan were two individuals — Army Chief General Asim Munir and former Prime Minister and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan. Munir used all levers of state power from behind the scenes and through other institutions and individuals to try to grind Khan into electoral dust. With results of 250 of the 266 general seats contested in the elections announced so far, it is certain, that he has failed to do so.

Khan, imprisoned since early May last year, convicted in numerous cases which prevented him from both contesting elections or campaigning, was compelled to make his party candidates stand as independents. This was because the Pakistan Election Commission suspended PTI’s symbol. However, despite these steps and also pressures on Khan’s leading colleagues, PTI candidates contesting as independents came through as the single largest group. They secured more seats (declared so far) in the National Assembly (91) than either the Munir favoured party, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) of the Sharifs (71) or the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) of the Bhutto-Zaradaris (53). This indicates that Khan has retained a large measure of his voter base amidst very adverse political circumstances. Read more

'As the people of Pakistan have clearly pronounced their verdict, there is a dire need for democracy and fairness in Pakistan's elections. I warn against the misadventure of forming a government with stolen votes,' said Imran Khan in a message from jail posted on his official X social media account. 

He also expressed gratitude to the people of Pakistan for entrusting PTI with a resounding majority. 'It was heartening to see the massive turnout. The families voting together, including women and children—truly exemplified the essence of democracy,' the post said.   

Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party on Tuesday announced that it will use the platform of two rightwing religious parties in its bid to form government in the Centre as well as in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, PTI reported. PTI Information Secretary Raouf Hassan said the PTI was redoubling its efforts to make government in the Centre and Punjab. However, it is believed that by joining the two parties, the PTI will not be able to gather enough strength to form either the federal or provincial government in Punjab and will be able to claim a share of the 70 reserved seats in the national assembly and 156 reserved seats in the four provincial assemblies. The PTI can form a government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa even without the support of any other party.

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday withdrew from the race for the prime minister, saying that his party would support Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's candidate for the premier's slot without being part of the government, PTI reported. The decision of Bilawal came hours after Pakistan's former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif will become the prime minister for a record fourth time.
Revealing the reason behind backing the rival party's candidate for the coveted post, Bilawal said that the PPP decided to support the PML-N's candidate for the premiership to ensure political instability in the country, according to a report by The News International website. 

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will support rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to form a government after a split verdict in elections last week but will not join the cabinet, Geo News said on Tuesday, citing sources. According to the results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) till Sunday, of the total 265 National Assembly seats, Imran Khan's PTI-backed Independents bagged 93 seats, followed by PML-N at 73, PPP 54, MQM 17 and others 19.

Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that independent members of parliament backed by his party will join the minority Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) party to form a government after inconclusive elections last week, an official of Khan's party quoted him as saying on Tuesday, reported Reuters. He also said that Khan will decide who the prime minister of this government will be. 

Pakistan's former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif will become the prime minister for a record fourth time, PTI reported. Independent candidates, mostly backed by Khan's PTI, won 101 seats in the 266-member National Assembly in the February 8 general elections. PML-N's total tally is 80 after some independents have joined the party, Shehbaz Sharif said in a press conference today as reported by Reuters. He said that the party will continue to meet independents and also said that PML-N has engaged with other political parties to form the government.  

A Pakistani court on Tuesday dismissed more than 30 petitions filed by jailed former premier Imran Khan's party backed independent candidates who challenged the "sham victory" of top PML-N leaders, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, PTI reported. The Lahore High Court while dismissing the petitions asked the defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party-backed candidates to move to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for redressal of their grievances. PTI's Dr Yasmin Rashid, who contested against Nawaz Sharif and claimed to have won in Lahore's NA-130 seat, termed the victories of the respondents a "sham" on the ground that the returning officers (ROs) concerned consolidated the results and prepared Form 47 (result-sheet) in their absence which is an illegal exercise of the power. 

Senator Taj Haider in charge of Central Election Cell of Pakistan People's Party sent a letter today to the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan. In his letter, Senator Taj Haider has 'informed about the manipulation' of PS 62 (Hyderabad) election results. 

PTI in a post from their official handle on social media site X also shares details of the letters of how according to Form 45 available with PPP candidate Abdul Jabbar, he secured 22,395 votes and was successful. But MQM's Sabir Hussain was declared successful, securing only 15,385 votes, writes Senator Haider in the letter. 

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf(PTI)'s official X handle posted today that there shall be no talks with PML-N, PPP and MQM. This comes after former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President said in a press conference today that if PTI-backed candidates can't form government and show majority, then other parties will form government, as reported by Reuters. Shehbaz Sharif said PML-N's total tally has reached 80 now after some independents have joined them said that the party will continue to meet independents. 

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shehbax Sharif said in a press conference today that PML-N's total tally is 80 after some independents have joined the party, Reuters reported. He said that the party will continue to meet independents and also said that PML-N has engaged with other political parties to form the government. 
 
He added that PML-N will play a role to counter the challenges the country is facing currently and said that there should be no doubt that Pakistan's economy is at a point where they have to opt for another International Monetary Fund(IMF) package. When asked about Nawaz Sharif's chance of becoming Prime Minister for the fourth times, he said ,"We still stand by it."

Pakistan's former Prime Minister and leader of its largest party Shehbaz Sharif said today that independent candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan are welcome to form a government if they can prove their majority in parliament.

If the Khan-backed independent candidates cannot do that, other parties will go ahead and form a government and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is talking to other groups to form a coalition, Sharif said, as per a Reuters report. 

Supporters of Pakistan's jailed leader Imran Khan protested amid uncertainty about the country's future. The results of the national election were finally released, putting independents backed by Khan in the lead - but with no clear majority.

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party has established special committees to strategise the government formation at the Centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Participants during the party's core committee meeting agreed to early completion of the nomination process for important government and parliamentary positions according to the recommendations and strategies proposed by the committees, Dawn News cited a statement as saying on Monday.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is formulating a plan to form its government in the Centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after independent candidates backed by the party bagged 101 of the 266 National Assembly seats in the recently concluded February 8 elections marred by allegations of rigging. (PTI)

On February 8, votes were cast for the National Assembly (NA) and four Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan in a largely peaceful manner, barring some tension around delays and logistical irregularities. The internet and mobile services were shut before polling began with the stated aim of maintaining safety and security. By late evening, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the army congratulated each other for orderly elections. Around the same time, the real trouble started building up, whereby polling station-wise results started getting tabulated. These could be accessed by candidates as Form- 45, but neither returning officers (ROs) nor the ECP were seen doing anything to compile and declare official results for individual seats. The ECP was mandated to declare results on February 9 by 2 am, but it blamed the delay on the suspension of internet and mobile services.

Soon enough allegations about the rigging of results started circulating, with videos and specific details from polling stations on social media. Neither Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nor Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) demanded timely declaration of results or made any attempts to publicise their leads or seats. Strongly demanding the results from ECP, only the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) teams went into overdrive by tasking polling agents and supporters to ensure getting signed copies of Form 45 and following up with ROs till the results were compiled and declared. The PTI-backed candidates have fought elections as independents but with full acknowledgement of their affiliation to Imran Khan. (Read more)

Pakistan Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Bilawal Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party, which won the third-most number of seats in Thursday's election, is split on whether to join a coalition government or sit on Opposition benches, according to local media. 

Speaking to the media after a PPP Central Executive Committee meeting on Monday night, Senator Sherry Rehman said, “The PPP will approach all (political) parties, and a committee will be set up.” The committee will be formed on Tuesday, while the CEC meeting which ended without reaching any final decision will also resume at 3 pm.

Pakistan's elections last week returned a hung parliament, with no party getting enough seats in the National Assembly to form a government by itself. 

Pakistan Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Even as they were working together to form an alliance in the Centre, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) members were struggling with internal differences in government formation talks in Punjab's new provincial government alongside the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as per a report by Samaa TV.

As some members advocate for joining the coalition and others voice strong opposition, yesterday's meeting ended in a stalemate. The second round of the PPP Central Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for today.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the situation in Pakistan “very closely” and has urged the authorities and political leaders to refrain from violence and avoid actions that could increase tensions, said his spokesperson.

“On the elections in Pakistan, I can tell you that he is indeed following the situation very closely and continuing to monitor the situation following the general elections,” Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said in response to a query on the same during a press meet.

“The Secretary-General urges the authorities, and political leaders to maintain a calm atmosphere and to reject and refrain from all forms of violence and avoid any actions that could increase or enflame tensions,” Dujarric said, as per a Press Trust of India report.

The true protagonists in the February 8 national polls in Pakistan were two individuals — Army Chief General Asim Munir and former Prime Minister and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan. Munir used all levers of state power from behind the scenes and through other institutions and individuals to try to grind Khan into electoral dust. With results of 250 of the 266 general seats contested in the elections announced so far, it is certain, that he has failed to do so.

Khan, imprisoned since early May last year, convicted in numerous cases which prevented him from both contesting elections or campaigning, was compelled to make his party candidates stand as independents. This was because the Pakistan Election Commission suspended PTI’s symbol. However, despite these steps and also pressures on Khan’s leading colleagues, PTI candidates contesting as independents came through as the single largest group. They secured more seats (declared so far) in the National Assembly (91) than either the Munir favoured party, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) of the Sharifs (71) or the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) of the Bhutto-Zaradaris (53). This indicates that Khan has retained a large measure of his voter base amidst very adverse political circumstances. (Read more)

Amid uncertainty over who will form the next government in Pakistan, a US State Department official said that America is ready to work with any government that comes to power in Islamabad. 

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference, "I don't think there is a new Pakistani government yet. I believe there are still discussions going on about the formation of a government."

"But one of the things that we have said leading up to the elections, and we'll continue to make clear, is that whoever the Pakistani people choose to represent them, we will work with that government," he added.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted bail to jailed former Pakistan premier Imran Khan in 12 cases linked to the May 9 attacks on military installations.

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, The Express Tribune Pakistan reported. 

Pakistan conducted its parliamentary elections on February 8, 2024 with 44 political parties vying for 265 seats in the National Assembly. This marked the country’s 12th general election since gaining independence 76 years ago.

According to the final tally on the Election Commission of Pakistan website, Independents backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan have won 101 of the 265 seats, a report on Dawn said. This is followed by Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N which won 75 seats, and the Pakistan People’s Party, which secured 54 seats. (Read more)