New Delhi: As results to the Pakistan elections come in slowly, all parties except for Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have cried foul at the delayed counting.
While early results had former prime minister Sharif leading the polls, by Friday afternoon unofficial trends according to Pakistan’s Geo TV point to a clear lead for the independents backing jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Dawn newspaper, which is reporting on the official count also has the PTI independents ahead now.
However, the ‘PTI’ tally in the National Assembly is less than the combined score of PML (N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, which means that if current trends continue, these two parties can once again form a coalition government at the national level.
In the Punjab assembly, the PTI independents and Sharif’s PML(N) are neck-and-neck, according to Geo TV’s broadcast.
The PPP is sweeping the Sindh assembly, while PTI independents are way ahead in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly.
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, Sharif’s daughter, has won from her seat in Lahore with 83,855 votes, according to Dawn.
The PTI independents – PTI were the winners of the last election – are outperforming expectations by leading in many constituencies. Khan’s party has been barred from participating in the election as a bloc, but individuals endorsed by his party entered the race as independent candidates.
After initial post-poll trends charted PTI’s strong showing, many results were ‘frozen’ overnight. By 3 am on February 8, more than 10 hours after polls closed, only four provincial assembly results had been announced. The delay has been blamed on “internet problems” after the closure by authorities of internet and phone access during the day. Pakistan’s interior ministry has cited the fact that two days ago, two explosions by the ISIS had led to 28 deaths as reason for this shutdown.
PTI supporters protest at a counting centre against alleged malpractice. Photo: Video screengrab/X/@ahmad_bobak
In an editorial, Dawn newspaper said, “The move rendered thousands of voters clueless as to where their polling stations were, as the ECP’s 8300 SMS service could only be operated on mobile networks. The decision not only defies court orders mandating uninterrupted internet connectivity during the polls, it raises a glaring question: how does snapping communication channels deter terrorism?”
When counting resumed, Nawaz’s PML(N) started to win seats in Punjab where they had been lagging.
The Election Commission of Pakistan today morning ordered returning officers to speed up the release of results.
Pakistani voters went to the election polls on Thursday, but the day was marred by violence and the suspension of communication services.
Pakistani voters showed themselves undeterred by very cold weather in several parts of the country, even while the threat of violence is highlighted by the tens of thousands of troops deployed across the country. However, pollsters predicted a low turnout from the country’s 128 million eligible voters.
(With inputs from DW)
This report is being updated and republished from time to time.