Who Is Winning Pak Elections? Imran's PTI Claims Win, So Does Nawaz's PML-N as Vote Count Continues

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party on Friday claimed victory in the general elections while alleging that results were being delayed due to attempts being made to rig the outcome.

Pakistan Election Result 2024 Live: Ex-PMs Nawaz, Shehbaz Win; Imran Khan’s PTI Claims Over 150 Seats

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party asked PML-N’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, who was being dubbed as an “Army-backed candidate,” to concede defeat. The PML-N, however, rejected the demand and claimed that it was winning Thursday’s elections. By 1 pm, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced 70 official results, with independents getting 24. A total of 265 seats were contested in Thursday’s election.

Votes are still being counted in Pakistan after Thursday’s general election which was marred by allegations of rigging, sporadic violence and a countrywide mobile phone shutdown. PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the party will form the government in the Centre and Punjab. In a post on X, she said that the results were still being received by the party’s election cell, adding that the party’s position was “strong”.

PML-N, PTI and PPP

In a statement on X from the PTI official handle, the party stated that it won more than 150 NA seats out of 265 open for contest as per the data received in Form 45s, which are the primary source of election results at the lowest level and show the votes for each candidate at each polling station. A party must win 133 seats out of 265 being contested to form the next government.

“Copies of these forms have been collected by PTI candidates’ polling agents, which show them winning by a large majority. According to independent reports, PTI has won well over 150 National Assembly seats & is in a solid position to form government in Federal, Punjab & KP (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa), with a clear majority,” it stated. “However, manipulation of the results in the late hours of the night is an utter disgrace & a brazen theft of the nation’s mandate. The people of Pakistan vehemently reject the rigged results. The world is watching,” it asserted.

‘Let the world know’

In another statement, PTI alleged that its mandate was being stolen. “Let the world know that the clear and overwhelming mandate of the people of Pakistan is being stolen. Despite unprecedented pre-poll rigging & oppression, there was a record, massive turnout on polling day,” it stated The party said that every independent candidate backed by it was winning by a landslide.

It also said that Returning Officers are now manipulating the results using Form 47, which is a summary of Form 45 from each polling station. “Furthermore, there are reports of the polling agents getting abducted & forced to sign fake Form 45s,” it said. It also referred to unspecified reports to claim that “PTI nominated candidates (were) losing suddenly in various constituencies now, after they had already won by a clear majority”.

In another statement, the party asked Sharif to concede defeat. “Show some grace @NawazSharifMNS, accept the defeat! The people of Pakistan will never accept you. This is a golden opportunity to regain some credibility as a Democrat. Daylight robbery is going to be rejected massively by Pakistan!” it said in a statement on X. PML-N has countered the PTI claim about results and said that it was winning. “Based on data compiled in PMLN Election Cell and results already in the public domain, PMLN has emerged as the single largest political party in the National Assembly and a clear majority party in Punjab Assembly,” according to party leader Ishaq Dar. He also said that “premature and biased speculations” must be avoided as the country awaits the official complete results from ECP.

(With agency inputs)