Pakistan election: Both Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan claim victory
Pakistan's former prime ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, have both declared victory in the general elections held on Thursday. The final election results have not been declared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). According to the unofficial provisional results released by Geo News for 241 of 266 seats, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) backed independent candidates are leading from 97 seats.
Sharif's party trailing with 72 seats: Report
The report also added that the Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which emerged as the single largest party in this election, is trailing with 72 seats, followed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) at 52. Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamiat-e-Ulami-Faizal (JUI-F), and Balochistan National Party (BNP) are set to bag 15, three, and two seats, respectively.
Know about Sharif's promise to people of Pakistan
Addressing a rally in Lahore, Sharif vowed to develop schools and hospitals across the nation and work towards combating unemployment and inflation in crisis-stricken Pakistan. The three-time Pakistan PM also announced his intent to form a united government with the help of his former allies, the PPP, JUI-F, and MQM-P, amid a fractured mandate.
Sharif's meeting with top PPP leadership
With the official results for the Pakistan general elections still awaited, the PML-N chief reportedly met top PPP leaders Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari in Lahore. After much deliberation, the leaders allegedly made the decision to hold another meeting once the numbers game was straightforward. Reuters earlier reported that analysts had predicted there might be no clear winner in this poll, adding to the woes of Pakistan's struggle to recover from an economic crisis.
Khan attacks Sharif, lauds massive turnout of voters
On Saturday, Khan released a "victory speech" in his AI-enabled voice, claiming that PML-N supremo Sharif's "London Plan" failed with a massive turnout of voters on polling day. "My beloved countrymen. By turning out in such huge numbers and exercising your democratic right of franchise, you have laid the foundation for the restoration of the freedom to exercise citizens' rights," the PTI chief added.
