Former Pakistani prime ministers and rivals Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan both declared victory in the elections, which were affected by delayed results and militant attacks, leading to further political turmoil. Sharif’s party secured the most seats for a single party, while supporters of Khan, who ran as independents after his party was banned from the polls, gathered the most seats overall. Sharif stated that his party would engage in talks with other groups to form a coalition government, as they were unable to secure a clear majority on their own. This declaration followed the release of results for over three-quarters of the 265 seats, more than 24 hours after polling concluded on Thursday.
Analysts had anticipated a potential lack of a clear winner, exacerbating the challenges faced by a country grappling with an economic crisis and increasing militancy in a polarized political climate. The results indicated that independents, most of whom were supported by Khan, had secured the most seats – 98 out of 245 counted by 1830 GMT. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 69 seats, while the Pakistan People’s Party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari secured 51 seats. The remaining seats were won by small parties and other independents. Sharif addressed a gathering of supporters outside his home in Lahore, stating that his party is the largest in the country and emphasizing the duty to help the nation emerge from its challenges. Meanwhile, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party released a message rejecting Sharif’s claim to victory, congratulating supporters on their “win” in the election, and urging them to celebrate and protect their vote.
Former cricket star Khan has been in custody since August, having been convicted three times in the week leading up to the polls. On the other hand, Sharif, a three-time former premier, returned from a self-imposed exile in the UK late last year, and had encountered a long-standing feud with the powerful military. Sharif expressed a preference for his party winning a majority on its own, but in its absence, he announced plans to initiate negotiations with other parties, including former President Asif Ali Zardari of PPP, as early as Friday night.
In response, a senior aide of Khan mentioned that PTI leaders would hold internal discussions and meet with Khan in jail on Saturday to deliberate on the election results. The caretaker government attributed the unusual delay in announcing results to the temporary suspension of mobile phone services, implemented as a security measure prior to the election. Under Pakistan’s complex election system, independent members are unable to form a government on their own, and instead have the option to align with any party after the elections.
The delayed results have caused uncertainty and impacted Pakistan’s stock index and sovereign bonds. Analysts anticipate that a coalition government will face numerous challenges, particularly in seeking a new bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the expiration of the current arrangement in three weeks. The electoral battle between candidates supported by Khan’s PTI and the PML-N was expected to be the main focus, with Khan alleging military involvement in a campaign against his party, while others assert that Sharif is being supported by the military. It is expected that a coalition government may struggle to address multiple challenges, such as the need for a new IMF bailout program, leading to potential instability in the country.
