)
A boy looks on screens, displaying the cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in a televised speech a day after the general election, at a market in Karachi (Reuters photo) ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan's battle for power entered the final stages, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had clinched 110 NA seats, with results of 19 more to trickle in, reported the country's media outlet Dawn News.
This is followed by jailed ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which leading in 63 seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerged as the third major party with a lead in 42 seats.
Early celebrations broke out in Khan`s camp, as more than three television channels projected him in the lead and predicting a win. However, those projections were based on only about 10-15 percent of votes counted.
Meanwhile, PML-N, PPP and several others complained of rigging in the vote count.
PML-N outrightly rejected the results, alleging "blatant" rigging of the election while the counting of votes was underway.
outrightly rejected the results, alleging "blatant" rigging of the election while the counting of votes was underway.
Nearly 371,000 soldiers have been stationed at polling stations across the country, nearly five times the number deployed at the last election in 2013.
PTI chief Imran Khan won the crucial Islamabad 2 seat with a massive margin of 92,891 votes, defeating former PM and PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
In the wee hours of Thursday, Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner Muhammad Raza Khan acknowledged that there has been delay in announcement of election results which "caused some annoyance."
The primary race for the next Prime Minister of Pakistan is between Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief and former cricketer Imran Khan, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zadari of the Pakistan People's Party.
On Wednesday, the voting had begun at 8 am concluded at 6 pm. Millions of voters flocked at the polling stations across the country to cast their votes. There was a total of 85,307 polling stations, out of which 17,007 were announced as 'highly sensitive'.
There are a total of 105, 955, 409 number of registered voters. Nearly 12,570 candidates are in fray for a total of 849 seats of national and provincial assemblies in the general election. Of these, votes shall be cast in 271 constituencies out of 272 National Assembly seats. While in the four provinces, candidates will battle it out in 500 of the 507 seats available.
Around 220 million ballot papers have been printed for the election. The colour of ballot paper for the National Assembly is green whereas white coloured paper shall be used for the Provincial Assembly.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), however, deferred polling in eight national and provincial assembly constituencies which include PK-78 Peshawar, PP-87 Mianwali, PS-87 Malir, PK-99 Dera Ismail Khan, PB-35 Mastung, PP-103 and NA-103 Faisalabad.
The run-up to the elections has been one of the bloodiest in the countries history which saw a string of deadly attacks by terrorists targeting election candidates and their supporters.
Here are the updates:
Newsletter
