Pakistan Election Result: After a fractured mandate emerged in Pakistan’s general elections, political parties on Sunday intensified their efforts to form a coalition government. Voting for the general elections in Pakistan took place on Thursday. The Election Commission of Pakistan on Sunday declared the final results of the general elections, in which independent candidates supported by the party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan have won 101 seats. At the same time, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has technically emerged as the largest party in the Parliament by winning 75 seats. Bilawal Zardari Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) got 54 seats, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), the group of Urdu-speaking people who came from India during partition, got 17 seats. Other small parties won the remaining 12 seats.
Results of 264 seats declared
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared the results of 264 seats out of 265 for which elections were held. The unusual delay in the announcement of election results led to ruckus and protests across the country by many parties. The result of NA-88 seat in Khushab of Punjab province was withheld by ECP due to complaints of fraud and will be declared after redressal of the grievances of the victims. The election on one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate. Independent candidates have secured 101 seats in the National Assembly. Most of these were supported by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). A party will need 133 seats to form the government. Overall, 169 seats out of 336 are required to achieve a simple majority, which also includes seats reserved for women and minorities.
Nawaz Sharif called for forming a coalition government
Nawaz Sharif on Saturday called for forming a coalition government to take Pakistan out of its current difficulties. It is believed that Sharif has the support of the country’s powerful army. PML-N chief Sharif has entrusted the responsibility of holding talks with the parties to his younger brother and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has met senior PPP leaders. A delegation of MQM-P is in Lahore and held a meeting with Shehbaz. . The MQM delegation is being led by Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other party leaders are also participating in the meeting. Shahbaz said that there will be discussion regarding government formation in the meeting.
Everyone is claiming to form the government
MQM-P leader Haider Rizvi told Geo News in an interview that his party would be more comfortable with the PML-N because unlike the PPP or other parties, “the two parties have not competed in Karachi.” Meanwhile, PTI leader Gauhar Khan also claimed that his party will form the government. However, analysts believe that this is not possible. ‘Express Tribune’ quoted Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, head of ‘Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency’ (PILDAT) in its news as saying that ‘PTI’ is apparently going to form the government without forming an alliance with PML-N or other major political parties. While PPP does not have the necessary numerical strength to claim majority in the lower house of the Parliament.