Pakistan election results: Pakistan vote count close amid rigging allegations - BBC News

Pakistan's Close Election Amid Mounting Rigging Claims

Caroline Davies, Usman Zahid, Tarhub Asghar, and Umer Draz in Lahore, Sahar Baloch, Farhat Javed, Samira Hussain, and Shahzad Malik in Islamabad, Riaz Sohail in Karachi, and Aziz Ullah Khan in Peshawar have all provided updates.

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PTI Candidates Campaigned In Concealment

Imran Khan's political party is receiving consistent positive results, even though there are limitations imposed against it. The PTI remained firm on their goal to succeed despite their leader's imprisonment and disqualification from participating in the elections.

Several nominees of the political party continued their campaign even though they were incarcerated, but they were eligible to run for the election while still awaiting a verdict within the prison walls.

Some individuals chose to evade law enforcement and managed their campaigns in secret.

Atif Khan previously held a position as a minister in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located in northern Pakistan. During his campaign, he utilized an innovative approach by featuring in video broadcasts, which were displayed on 3-meter screens that were moved around by his team. They parked in town squares to speak to supporters of PTI, the political party he belongs to.

He stated that his only option to communicate with the public was through this method, as he has been hiding since May. The government claims he is a fugitive, but he thinks that he won't receive an impartial judgment.

Before the election, Mr. Khan informed BBC that it is a completely distinct encounter from being in a crowd, on stage, or being around other individuals, but they are endeavoring to handle it.

PTI's largest following comes from young voters who utilize digital media and mobile phones. To better connect with this demographic, we have decided to increase our engagement through these platforms by utilizing digital means of campaigning. This is the best approach available to us at this time.

Discover more: Imran Khan: The tactics adopted by the former Prime Minister of Pakistan to secure victory from behind bars.

"Balochistan's Initial Outcome Of Violence"

The initial seat declared in Balochistan has been disclosed. The area is known for being unsettled and has experienced considerable political turmoil prior to the election.

On the day before the voting day of Thursday, two explosions occurred outside the election office and candidate's office in the province, causing the death of a minimum of 30 individuals and injuring many more.

The impoverished region situated in the south-western part of Pakistan only holds 16 positions in the National Assembly. Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, the leader of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), has recently attained the province's initial seat.

Numerous individuals who cast their votes in Balochistan sense that the political parties in the country overlook them. Balochistan happens to be the most impoverished and extensive province in Pakistan, but it barely has any parliamentary seats. Candidates who have little to no affiliation with Balochistan are frequently assigned to represent the people, which leads to resentment among the voters.

Many believe that the voting process is unjust. Several individuals expressed to BBC Urdu in the town of Turbat last month that the selection is not unbiased.

Independents Are Leading Significantly

It is currently late in the afternoon in Pakistan and although there was a 24 hour delay in the outcome, the results are gradually making their way through.

Announcements have been made for over 122 seats out of the total of 265 seats in the National Assembly.

Furthermore, numerous individuals who are not associated with any political party, but have ties to Imran Khan's PTI, are currently dominating in terms of popularity and support.

By 3pm in the area's time zone, the Electoral Commission website displayed that they had obtained 49 positions. This is 10 more compared to Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, which garnered only 39 seats.

It's not readily apparent what political or organizational groups the independents are aligned with.

The political party called PPP, which is led by Bhutto-Zardari, currently holds 30 seats.

Geo News, a broadcaster in Pakistan, has reported that independent candidates are currently leading in the polls.

Ex-UN Envoy Sees Faith In Democracy From Numbers

The section of the blog cannot be reproduced or copied without permission from Alex Wong/Getty Images.

Maleeha Lodhi, a former ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, has expressed her belief that Pakistan's high number of voters is a positive reflection of their trust in the democratic process.

According to Lodhi, the current declared outcomes oppose the idea that the elections were predetermined.

According to Lodhi, Pakistan is currently facing the most severe economic crisis in its history, and political stability is desperately needed to tackle this issue.

The ex-ambassador expressed her opinion that the victor in this election will be confronted with a tremendously challenging to-do list.

Lodhi held the position of Pakistan's representative to the United States during two separate periods. The initial term spanned from 1993 to 1996, and the subsequent period lasted from 1999 to 2002, making her the longest-serving ambassador to the US from Pakistan.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Secures Dynasty Heir Seat

The Electoral Commission has announced that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Prime Ministerial candidate and leader of the Pakistan People's Party, has secured his position as a winner.

The successor of the political dynasty of Bhutto-Zardari participated in the National Assembly election, seeking the position in Qamber Shahdadtkot-I.

The man is the offspring of the late Benazir Bhutto, who was Pakistan's Prime Minister before being assassinated in 2007, as well as the ex-president, Asiz Ali Zardari. He's also the descendant of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who served as both a Prime Minister and President of Pakistan. During the previous governmental period, he occupied the role of Pakistan's foreign minister.

Despite being only 35 years old, he is currently heading his family's political party. Nevertheless, his chances of becoming Prime Minister were perceived to be low.

The current outcome of the situation is uncertain, so unexpected events are possible.

He sent a tweet in the middle of the night saying that the results were taking a long time to come in, but the first ones that had arrived were looking very good!

It seems like the candidates we've backed from the PPP and those who are running as independents are having success! We'll have to wait and see what the final results show.

"PTI-supported Candidate In Lead, Yet Warns Against Meddling"

Shoaib Shaheen is an individual candidate backed by PTI who is contesting from Islamabad.

Shaheen spoke to us outside of the vote counting office and said he firmly believes that the election was manipulated, but he did not give any proof to support his claim.

According to him, the initial outcomes that have not been verified yet indicate that he is leading by a margin of 50,000 votes. However, he suspects foul play in the tallying of votes in his area, as it seemingly favored his rival, belonging to the PMLN.

Shaheen has reported his concerns to the Electoral Commission and is intending to escalate the issue to the High Court. The Electoral Commission has been approached regarding these claims and has refuted any suggestion of tampering with votes.

"30 Arrested In Islamabad Protests"

According to a news report by Dawn, a bunch of 25-30 PTI advocates were detained for demonstrating in support of their party's representative, Shoaib Shaheen, in the capital.

According to the authorities, the cluster had been shouting slogans that went against the regulation on prohibiting PTI rallies and congregations.

The authorities state that nearly half of the individuals in the group possessed weapons, and a few of them refused to leave the area upon being instructed to do so.

Nawaz Sharif Defeated In Mansehra Following Lahore Win - Local Authorities

Unofficial results from the local district election office indicate that Nawaz Sharif has been defeated in his bid for a seat in the National Assembly from the Mansehra constituency.

He came in second place, losing to independent candidate Shahzada Gastasap by approximately 11,000 votes.

Beforehand, Sharif emerged victorious in Lahore's electoral district against a candidate supported by PTI.

Someone who is running for office can enter into the running for both the National Assembly and provincial assembly seats simultaneously. They have the freedom to enter into as many races as they want in any electoral district.

If they are successful in obtaining two seats, they will have the option of selecting one, while the other will be subject to a by-election.

PTI Utilizes Tech To Spread Message

The PTI's campaign has relied heavily on technology as many of its conventional methods of connecting with supporters, such as large-scale rallies, public canvassing, and its cricket bat emblem, were prohibited.

The X party's verified social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok have a combined following of several million people, surpassing the total number of followers of the PPP and PML-N, the two other major political parties.

Out of the three political leaders, Imran Khan is the solitary one who owns an individual account on all three social media platforms. This implies that their communication is reaching the people directly.

Efforts have been made to utilize technology in order to aid voters in identifying the candidate backed by PTI. In the absence of the iconic cricket bat emblem, PTI has designed a web portal where voters can enter their constituency and locate the symbol of the PTI-supported candidate.

Since Khan is currently imprisoned and unable to organize rallies, they have resorted to utilizing AI technology. In December, they created a speech for Khan to be presented at an online rally.

Find out more about Imran Khan's struggle to secure victory in the election while being incarcerated by clicking on this link.

Maryam Nawaz Emerges Victorious In Lahore

Maryam Nawaz, a prominent figure within the PML-N political party and the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has triumphed in the National Assembly elections held in Lahore.

Based on the preliminary results issued by the election commission, she received nearly 84,000 ballots.

Shehzad Farooq, who was supported by PTI, came in second place with around 68,000 votes.

Former PM's Brother Wins Lahore Seat

It was predictable that Shehbaz Sharif would emerge victorious in Lahore which is the biggest city and provincial capital of Punjab, Pakistan's most heavily populated province.

Shehbaz Sharif became the new prime minister following Imran Khan's removal from office by a parliamentary vote in April 2022. He took over as the leader of the coalition government.

He was in charge of Pakistan up until last August, when a temporary prime minister took over.

He became the head of the PML-N political party as the younger sibling of Nawaz Sharif. However, when Nawaz came back from exile in December, he reclaimed his position as the primary candidate for the PML-N.

"Election Commission Floor In Pakistan's Capital"

There are approximately 20 individuals with me inside an office. The prominent screens within the area are showing a massive electoral map.

This area is commonly known as the primary control hub where electoral grievances are handled and can be reported through various methods such as email, phone calls, and WhatsApp messages.

The chamber is situated on the fourth story, which is higher than the office of the Electoral Commission that is in charge of counting and publishing the certified outcomes.

During yesterday's voting day, a sum of 76 grievances was reported. However, it was acknowledged that if communication channels were not discontinued, the number of complaints would have been significantly more.

When asked about whether connectivity made their job harder, the officers swiftly aligned with the government's stance. They explained that Pakistan is a fledgling democracy, and that mobile services needed to be suspended due to security apprehensions.

Despite Party Suppression, PTI Leaders Win Seats

The latest leader of Imran Khan's political party, PTI, has emerged victorious in the voting process for his position in the National Assembly.

According to the tally sheet, Gohar Ali Khan emerged victorious in Buner, a district located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with three times as many votes as the candidate who came second in the race.

Khan was chosen as the head of the political party in December right after being proposed by Imran Khan while still in prison.

Asad Qaiser, a previous speaker of the parliament, who holds a senior position in his political party, has emerged victorious in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Numerous candidates supported by PTI have emerged victorious in their respective constituencies.

Due to the election commission's decision that the party could no longer run for office using their well-known cricket bat symbol, they were compelled to participate in the election as solo candidates.

Pakistan's Recent Developments?

For those who have recently arrived, a cordial welcome to the BBC's live report of the Pakistan election outcomes - that do not seem to be as certain as originally predicted by the analysts.

The PML-N party of Nawaz Sharif is currently in the lead with 17 out of the 51 seats announced by the electoral commission in Pakistan. Experts predicted Nawaz Sharif as the victor due to the support from the influential military of Pakistan.

However, right after that, there are independent candidates who are supported by Imran Khan's PTI party occupying 14 seats.

The political party is facing multiple obstacles, even though they have a lot to deal with. This includes the imprisonment of their leader, who was also Pakistan's previous elected prime minister, and several of their candidates have gone into hiding. For more information, check out the article from our reporter in Pakistan over the weekend.

Returning to the present, there are concerns about the delayed arrival of outcomes and the reasons behind it.

Parisian freelancer Taha Siddiqui believes that the military may be dissatisfied with the outcome, leading to speculation.

According to the spokesperson of the electoral commission, Nighat Siddiq, the results will arrive quickly. They are taking extra steps to ensure that there are no mistakes made. She reassured the BBC that the outcome will be available soon.

We are currently anticipating a large amount of results. At the moment, only a small portion of the seats have been declared, indicating that a conclusion cannot be reached.

PTI Backers Demand Election Data Release

In the region of Bannu, located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

People who are in favor of a candidate that is being supported by Imran Khan's PTI political party in Pakistan's Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa region protested on the streets, and they want the election outcomes to be revealed in the Bannu area.

According to them, their nominee emerged victorious, however, the official in charge of overseeing the electoral process in the area was withholding the voting data.

The followers of Imran Khan's PTI had no choice but to participate in elections as independent candidates due to Khan and numerous party colleagues and supporters being imprisoned and their party emblem confiscated.

By The Numbers: Voting Statistics

Around 128 million individuals have enrolled to participate in the upcoming elections, representing almost 50% of the total population.

Around 44% of voters who have enlisted their names are younger than 35 years old, thus making it essential to keep an eye on their voting patterns this election season.

It is anticipated that there will be reduced participation from voters. In the prior election of 2018, approximately 52% of registered voters cast their ballots.

Approximately 69 million individuals, which accounts for 53% of the voting population, are male. Despite voting being a fundamental legal entitlement in the nation, a significant number of women residing in rural areas are unable to exercise their right to vote due to cultural practices established by their tribes.

Almost 60% of registered voters live in Punjab, where Nawaz Sharif's PML-N has directed its attention.

Who Backs Imran Khan?

According to Burzine Waghmar from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), those who endorse Imran Khan can be generally categorized into two factions.

Initially, there exist the individuals who are interconnected, residing in cities, performing office job, and belong to the generational cohort known as Gen Z. These individuals consider Khan to be a well-known figure in the world of sports across the country.

Next, we have the group of "devout Pakistani" individuals who belong to the lower middle and working classes. They are attracted to his speeches that oppose America and also condemn the Western nations' actions in the "war on terror".

Waghmar explains that these followers are really angry with the military and Khan's opponents for arranging his removal and imprisonment.

“They strongly believe that he was castrated by the establishment elites because he was a politician of principle, not a clever strategist, who simply echoed the opinions of regular people.”

Quarterly Seat Results Announced

The media in Pakistan has shared that the Election Commission has made public the preliminary outcomes of 63 positions in the National Assembly.

We are currently anticipating around 200 additional entries to be counted, which accounts for approximately 24% of the total race.

The unaffiliated candidates who are associated with PTI are currently ahead of the other competitors, namely PML-N (headed by Nawaz Sharif) and PPP (headed by Bilawal Bhutto), by a small margin.

Analyst Says Election Result Uncertainty Is 'unprecedented'

One expert notes that although it is not uncommon to not have complete election results the day following the election, the amount of uncertainty surrounding the conclusion of the Pakistan general election is unparalleled.

During an interview with BBC's Newsday, Tamanna Salikuddin from the US Institute of Peace stated that numerous individuals monitoring the elections believed the outcome was already determined, and that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N party were heading towards a certain success.

It's quite unusual that the ECP hasn't released much official data on the elections. This is surprising to many who are monitoring the proceedings.

Although many people were optimistic that the election would bring back some degree of stability to the nation, Salikuddin expressed that the current outcomes do not indicate that there will be any political stability.

Imran Khan: Who He Is?

Despite being prevented from running for office, Imran Khan remains a dominant figure in the election. Candidates not affiliated with any political party, but supported by PTI, are currently projected to be in the lead for 47 out of 101 parliamentary seats where the vote count is currently in progress.

Some individuals view Mr Khan as a hero who opposes the establishment, while others perceive him as a corrupt and power-hungry individual.

In 2022, his political rivals in parliament ousted him from his position even though he had only served for four years after winning the election. This former cricket legend is now confronted with over 170 legal battles, including accusations of corruption and terrorism. He argues that these charges are a ploy by his opponents to prevent him from participating in future elections.

Despite losing his position, he still has a significant following. On the night he was removed from office, thousands of people marched through cities all over Pakistan to show their support.