The Independent candidates, backed by PTI and Pakistan People’s Party were leading in NWFP and Sindh respectively on Thursday but situation was not clear as far as National Assembly election results were concerned.
Earlier polling across the country concluded in a largely peaceful manner, except sporadic incidents of violence, as there are varying reports about turnout.
The vote count began in the polling stations as the PTI’s plea for extending time of casting ballot at some places was turned down.
People came out in droves in many parts of Punjab and, eyewitnesses say, the young and the old showed a great deal of enthusiasm. There were long queues of people at some of the polling stations in Lahore, while some polling stations did not have too many people.
Except for internet and mobile services suspension, the polling process reportedly went smooth at most places. ECP has not given any reason leading to expression of suspicions from contesting parties.
No official results were announced by Election Commission but initial projections reported by local media show leads for candidates affiliated with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party.
Later, the Election Commission of Pakistan issued instructions to all the Provincial Election Commissioners and Returning Officers to declare all the results within the next half an hour otherwise strict action will be taken against them.”
State TV, private channels, and local media initiated the process of announcing results, but progress was slow.
Although results are coming in from interior Sindh, the results in the provincial capital and the country’s largest city, Karachi, were emerging at a slow pace.
Similarly, in the largest province of the country, Punjab, results were also being received slowly. The wait for results was ongoing from K-P and Balochistan. Concerns and reservations have been expressed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf regarding this delay.
It is evident that this time around, the Election Commission of Pakistan introduced a new system called the Election Management System to organise the results. Presiding officers of this system were instructed to send results via mobile.
However, on February 8, the mobile network was shut down for security reasons, causing a delay in the announcement of results.
ECP officials had informed the media before the elections that if results could also be sent via the internet, presiding officers would themselves collect the results and take them to the returning officers.
The Election Commissioner also announced that results announced by the private channels were not authentic and later it started annoncing the results.
Meanwhile, in a video message shared on microblogging website X, formerly Twitter, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party is currently leading on at least 150 National Assembly seats. He said the party will form governments at the Centre and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after the ‘landslide’ victory.
Earlier Pakistan Muslim League-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Thursday urged voters to give him a majority in the National Assembly to pull the country out of crises, while ruling out the possibility of forming a coalition government.
The three-time prime minister made these comments after casting his vote in the provincial capital along with his daughter and party’s chief organiser Maryam Nawaz.
He was accompanied by Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party leader Awn Chaudhry.
Nawaz, who is contesting from NA-130, urged the masses to come out and vote as the country needs a one-party majority to bring stability.
“We rendered sacrifices to witness the day where we are today. We have to end this culture of abuse and indecency.”
The PML-N leader hoped that the poll would bring prosperity to the country which is facing grave economic and security challenges.
When asked to comment on the formation of a government after the elections and what would be his priority, Nawaz said a party must get the majority to rule independently without dependence on others.
“For God’s sake! Don’t talk about a coalition government. One-party majority is crucial for the country.”
Taking a jibe indirectly at his rival Imran Khan’s party, he said the country needs a healing touch.
He also highlighted the sacrifices of party leaders including Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz, saying they also spent time in jail.
Former prime minister and PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif cast his vote at a polling station in Lahore’s NA-128.
Meanwhile former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Faisal Vawda said that a “surprise” took place in Karachi as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan is leading on more than expected seats in the metropolis.
While speaking to a news channel, he said that if the Pakistan People’s Party sits in opposition with independent candidates, the entire country will be “destroyed” in 6-7 months.
He added that a “sale of independents” has been set up and “traders” have arrived in Islamabad. “What I have been saying will prove to be true in the next 72 hours,” said Vawda.
“It was expected that the independent candidates would have the upper hand,” he said, adding that Junejo’s tenure [in 1985] should be remembered when looking at the Independent candidates’ game.”
He added that the PTI’s popularity is based on its own popularity and hatred of the Pakistan Democratic Movement government.
Vawda has insisted that he is not surprised by the results so far announced from unofficial sources, saying he has been predicting the same for several months now in different television talk shows. He said the “Go Nawaz Go” just happened with no conspicuous majority for any single party, adding: “Nawaz ka show muk gaya [Nawaz’s show is over”].
“The dispensation emerging as a result of the current election is bound to fall apart if Nawaz Sharif insists on becoming premier for the fourth time with a coalition supporting him with PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari sitting in the opposition along with the independents.”
The former PTI leader raised alarm, saying the political parties have already hit the ground, upping the antes for the purchase of independents, however, he asserted that known figures like Salman Akram Raja will not jump the ship.
