In Pakistan’s parliamentary elections held this week, the party of Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister won the most seats after being thoroughly reprimanded by the country’s military leadership.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), backed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was jailed last month, secured 97 seats in Pakistan’s parliament and lower house of parliament, the country’s Election Commission announced on Saturday. According to the New York Times.
The military-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, won at least 73 seats, the commission said.
Seven seats remain unresolved, confirming that PTI has a majority in parliament.
The Times said it was the first time in Pakistan’s history that a political party had achieved such electoral success without the support of the country’s influential military generals, sparking political turmoil.
Mr Khan and Mr Sharif declared victory for their party on Friday following Thursday’s general election, raising uncertainty over who will form the next government in the troubled country.
A senior aide to Mr. Khan said Saturday that the PTI plans to form a government and called on supporters to protest peacefully if final election results are not announced.
PTI Chairman Gohar Khan, who is also the former prime minister’s lawyer, called on “all institutions” in Pakistan to respect the party’s mandate. He called for protests on Sunday if final results were not announced by Saturday night.
PTI does not have enough candidates to form a sole majority.
Mr Sharif said on Friday that his party had emerged as the single largest group and would consult with other groups to form a coalition government.
“Today we invite you to sit with us as we rebuild this wounded Pakistan,” he said in a speech in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, the newspaper reported.
Khan’s supporters ran as independent candidates because their party had been barred from voting by the election commission for not complying with election laws.
Despite the ban, and Mr Khan’s conviction barring him from holding public office, millions of the former cricketer’s loyal supporters turned out in droves to vote for him.
However, under Pakistan’s electoral law, independent candidates are not entitled to reserved seats, of which 70 seats are to be distributed according to party affiliation.
Sharif’s party could win up to 20 of these seats.
According to the newspaper, the military expected an easy victory for the PMLN.
Khan was forced to resign in 2022 following a vote of no confidence in parliament amid several scandals.
Last month, Khan was sentenced by Pakistan’s military leadership to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets.
The next day, he and his wife Bushra Khan were each sentenced to 14 years in prison in a case related to the illegal sale of state gifts.
According to the ruling, Khan will be prohibited from holding public office for 10 years.
The New York Times said Thursday’s poll showed that Mr. Khan’s opposition to the military resonated with Pakistanis, especially young voters. The military’s traditional tactics of demoralizing voters through arrests and long prison sentences against opposition supporters have proven ineffective.
On Friday night, Mr. Khan’s party released a victory speech using a computer-generated voice imitating the voice of Mr. Khan, who has been imprisoned since August.
“We congratulate you all on your victory in the 2024 election. We were confident you would come out to vote,” the AI-generated voice said. “Your large turnout surprised everyone.”
with post wire
