The independent candidates supporting the currently imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, have emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections held in Pakistan yesterday, Thursday, according to unofficial poll results broadcasted by local TV channels early Friday morning.
The “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf” party led by Khan was barred from participating in the elections as a party. However, the unofficial poll results aired by local TV channels indicated that independent candidates, including many endorsed by his party, are leading in most electoral constituencies, both in the federal parliament and regional assemblies.
After 12 hours of polling station closure, the Election Commission had only released results for 4 seats, attributing the delay to “internet issues.”
The Pakistani Election Commission announced results for 4 seats, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party led by Nawaz Sharif winning two seats, while two independent candidates secured the other seats.
Results of the elections were delayed by more than 12 hours amid concerns of election fraud (Anadolu Agency).
Fraud Concerns
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Election Commission has requested election officials to announce election results within the next thirty minutes or be prepared for strict actions against them as allegations of fraud increase.
Polling stations closed at 5:00 PM local time (12 PM GMT), and the delayed announcement of results has heightened fears of fraud.
The spokesperson for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Rauf Hassan, urged the Election Commission to ensure the results are not tampered with, stating they would not accept it otherwise.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party, led by Nawaz Sharif, was expected to win the most seats in the elections, with analysts indicating that the 74-year-old former Prime Minister had reached an undisclosed agreement with the military to return to office.
However, local TV channels reported that the performance of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party in the elections was poor, with Nawaz Sharif himself trailing behind his opponent in the constituency he ran in.
Polling stations opened yesterday to elect 266 members of parliament from among 5,121 candidates and 593 members of regional assemblies from 12,695 candidates.
More than 128 million eligible voters can participate in the 12th general parliamentary elections, with the party garnering two-thirds of the seats forming the next government.
These elections take place amid security tensions and political unrest, with the absence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the leader of the “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf” party, due to a court ruling barring him from political activity for five years.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported 48 fatalities, including security personnel, and dozens injured in violent incidents that occurred today and in recent days.
Image Credit: Anadolu Agency
