- The final results of Pakistan’s national election put independents, backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the lead with 95 of 264 seats.
- The party of another ex-PM, Nawaz Sharif, was second with 75 seats after Thursday’s vote, lacking a clear majority but it was the largest single party.
- As coalition talks are held, protests have been called by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and several other parties over allegations of vote rigging.
- The final tally of votes was published by the election commission more than 60 hours after voting ended, raising questions over the delay.
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Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a review of the day’s main events:
- Independent candidates backed by jailed ex-PM Imran Khan’s PTI party took most seats in Thursday’s election, with questions now being raised over whether they could form a party or join an existing party or coalition.
- Meanwhile, another ex-PM Nawaz Sharif’s PMLN – which won the largest number of seats after the independents – and the PPP of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are holding alliance talks and wrangling over who would be the premier.
- To become PM, a candidate has to show they have a simple majority of 169 seats out of the 336-member National Assembly when it is called into session in the next few weeks.
- The political developments come amid nationwide protests over allegations of vote rigging and result manipulation after authorities switched off mobile phone network on election day and the counting dragged on for more than two days.
- Analysts say there could be weeks of political uncertainty ahead in the country where the potential for violent protest – and a crackdown by the powerful military – is ever present.
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IPP founder Jahangir Tareen quits politics
Jahangir Khan Tareen, founder and chairperson of the Istehkam-e-Pakisan Party (IPP) has announced his retirement from politics.
Tareen, a sugar baron and among the richest industrialists in the country, joined the PTI in 2011 and became the party’s general secretary. He played a key role in PTI’s 2018 electoral success.
Tareen, who was once considered among the closest aides to PTI leader Imran Khan, left the party formally in 2023 and in June the same year, founded his IPP.
The IPP consisted of many politicians who had defected from PTI, after the violent incidents of May 9 last year.
Tareen’s IPP managed to win only two national assembly seats, of which one in a highly contentions manner. PTI has filed a petition for recounting and reviewing the results.
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Caretaker PM says election held in ‘free and fair manner’
Defending the vote amid allegations of rigging, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar says the government “did not have any institutional mechanism either in fear or favour of an entity, political group or individual”.
“But I agree that the future parliament should focus more on the electoral process, the system of balloting and rest of the issues affiliated with it. I personally feel we should have a more robust and financially independent election commission,” he said.
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‘Will be very difficult for Khan and army to reconcile’
Farzana Sheikh, a specialist on Pakistani politics and economy, told Al Jazeera’s Inside Story that Imran Khan and army chief Asim Munir’s “dislike for one another is now pretty well established”.
This will likely make it “very difficult” to set aside Munir’s grievances, unless there is “there is real political will on the part of political parties” to put their heads together for dealing with the problems facing the country, said Sheikh.
At the same time, many of the cases against Khan have holes, and will go to higher courts where they may be put under more scrutiny, making his release from jail a possibility, noted Sheikh
Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/12/pakistan-post-election-crisis-live-parleys-and-protests-after-tense-vote
