Pakistan elections: Imran Khan's PTI-backed independent parties neck-in-neck with Sharif's PML-N; 12 killed in terror attacks on poll day
Pakistan Elections 2024: Imran Khan's PTI-backed independent candidates were neck-and-neck with Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab – Pakistan's most populous province.
Elections in Pakistan: Independent candidates backed by ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are posing a tough challenge to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N in the key province of Punjab, as evidenced by early trends Pakistani general election. terrorist attacks and violence that killed at least twelve people, including ten security personnel.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had stripped the jailed 71-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician of the electoral symbol 'bat' for failing to hold intra-party elections as per the Constitution, forcing the party to act independently. candidates.
Here are the latest election trends as reported by local news outlets:
According to initial trends reported by private news channels based on partial counts, Imran Khan's PTI-backed independent candidates were neck-and-neck with Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab – Pakistan's most populous province , which employs almost half of the population. of the representatives in the National Assembly.
In most constituencies in the Punjab province, the candidates of the two parties were in the lead or in second place.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, the 74-year-old three-time former prime minister who is seeking the premiership for a record fourth term, stood behind PTI-backed independent candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid in Lahore's NA-130.
Similarly, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was trailing in Lahore's NA-127. However, Sharif's younger brother Shehbaz was ahead of his rivals in Lahore's NA-123.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi's daughter Meher Bano Qureshi, who stood as an independent candidate, was ahead of her rivals in NA-151 (Multan).
The PTI has claimed that election results are being postponed across the country after Khan's candidate emerged victorious.
“There are reports of closing screens in the offices of returning officers in various circles,” PTI's Omary Ayub alleged in a video message on X.
In Sindh, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) candidates were leading in most constituencies, with leaders Bilawal and Asif Ali Zardari leading in their constituencies. But the situation in Karachi, the capital of Sindh with 22 seats in the National Assembly, was different and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and PTI candidates performed better.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, independent candidates backed by the PTI were in charge in most national and provincial seats. Former PTI minister Ali Muhammad Khan was in charge in Mardan area while former PTI National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar was in charge in Swabi. Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl also fared well in some districts.
Balochistan, the largest province but which sends only 15 lawmakers to parliament, showed mixed results with no party clearly in charge.
It should be noted that the results reported by news outlets so far are only indicative and unofficial and could change drastically as counting continues. The official results of a constituency are announced by the relevant official after the complete results from all polling stations in that constituency have been tabulated.
The polling for the Pakistani general elections started at 8:00 am and continued without any break until 5:00 pm. A national holiday was declared to enable over 12 crore voters to cast their votes. The voting percentage is not yet known. In the 2018 elections, the total voter turnout across the country was 51.7 percent.
Vote counting began after the election ended, and results from individual polling stations started pouring in after the mandatory one-hour restriction ended. But it may take a few hours before full results from a constituency are available.
A total of 266 National Assembly seats were up for grabs out of 336, but elections were postponed for at least one seat after a candidate was killed in a gun attack in Bajaur. Another 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 for minorities, and are allocated to the winning parties on the basis of proportional representation.
A party must win 133 of the 265 seats contested to form the next government.
5,121 candidates in the fray: ECP
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it has resolved 76 poll complaints received during the day.
According to ECP spokesperson Haroon Shinwari, most of the complaints were of a “normal nature”, involving confrontations between political workers in different fields, which were resolved on the spot.
According to the ECP, there are a total of 5,121 candidates in the race for the National Assembly (NA) seats. This includes 4,807 men, 312 women and two transgender people. There are 12,695 candidates in the field for the four Provincial Councils, including 12,123 men, 570 women and two transgender people.
Mobile, internet services suspended
Shortly after elections began, mobile services in Pakistan were suspended due to the “deteriorating security situation”, a day after two terror attacks killed at least 30 people in Balochistan province.
Despite the suspension of mobile and internet services, a large number of people across Pakistan have exercised their right to vote to elect lawmakers to national and provincial parliaments – in 855 constituencies.
Amnesty International criticized the decision to suspend mobile phone and internet services on election day, calling it “a blunt attack on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”.
In the evening, the Interior Ministry said mobile phone services had been partially restored in parts of the country.
Imprisoned leaders use ballots in 'free and fair' elections
Imran Khan and other prominent detained political figures cast their votes through postal ballot from Adiala prison.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has congratulated the nation on what he called “successful conduct” of “free and fair” elections.
Kakar said the high turnout is a clear indication of public commitment in shaping the country's future. “The votes expressed will help strengthen our democracy, and for that the people of Pakistan deserve every appreciation,” he added.
The border crossings with Afghanistan and Iran were closed to both freight and pedestrians on Thursday for security reasons.
Pakistan's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja earlier said the elections would take place in a peaceful atmosphere.
Imran Khan's PTI suffocated
Imran Khan's PTI complained about the pressure and lack of space to carry out its campaign after falling out with the powerful establishment. The party has been subject to a nationwide state crackdown, with hundreds of workers and candidates arrested and released only after leaving the party or withdrawing from the elections.
Pakistan's history since 1947 is littered with the military's sidelining of elected governments.
Khan has been jailed on corruption charges and banned from action. He will serve at least 14 years in prison after being convicted in three separate cases in five days last week. He still faces more than 140 charges in various cases.
Whoever wins the polls faces an enormous challenge due to the declining economy and the deteriorating security situation.
Last year the country narrowly avoided bankruptcy when the International Monetary Fund provided a short-term loan of $3 billion.
12 killed in terrorist attacks
Meanwhile, at least 12 people, including 10 security personnel, were killed on election day, mainly in the restive provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as government forces repelled 51 terrorist attacks aimed at disrupting the country's general election elections.
Five terrorists were also killed in various operations, according to an army statement.
Militants tried to derail the process with the attack, mainly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, but the troops foiled their efforts, albeit at a cost, the report said.
“Despite 51 cowardly terrorist attacks, mainly in KP and Balochistan, aimed at disrupting the electoral process, the soldiers remained resolute and effectively ensured peace and security across Pakistan. Twelve people (including ten personnel of security forces and law enforcement agencies) were killed and 39 others were injured in these attacks,” the army statement said.
In one of the incidents, unidentified gunmen detonated a bomb and then opened fire on a vehicle of security personnel deployed for election security in the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan. Four police officers were killed in the attack, they said.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the area is a former stronghold of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The group has carried out several attacks on security forces in recent years.
In a separate incident, two Levies and police personnel were killed while seven security personnel were injured in Balochistan's Kharan when their vehicle hit a landmine on the way to a polling station.
These attacks took place a day after at least thirty people were killed in two terror attacks in Balochistan province.
Meanwhile, the military, after claiming to have foiled more than 50 attacks, added that the armed forces along with other law enforcement agencies were proud to have played a crucial role in providing security during the conduct of the sacred electoral process, in support of civil power. and in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan.
(With PTI inputs)