Pakistans general election on February 8th left no clear winner, with conflicting claims of victory from jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his arch-rival Nawaz Sharif.Khans Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party clinched 100 of the 266 directly elected seats in the National Assembly, surpassing the 72 seats secured by Sharifs Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, emerged as the third biggest party with 54 seats.However, the PML-N asserted a technical victory, citing the PTIs disqualification from officially participating in the election for not complying with electoral laws. All PTI candidates had to contest as independents.Khans close aide Zulfi Bukhari said they would announce a party banner on Sunday for independent candidates to join. In Pakistan, independents cannot form a government alone and must join a party. They are also ineligible for the 70 reserved seats allocated based on party strength, up to 20 of which the PML-N could receive.Sharif initiated post-election talks by reaching out to the PPP and smaller groups to form a unity government. However, uncertainty remains amid pending court rulings on alleged vote manipulation. Many PTI candidates have approached the electoral commission and high courts in Lahore and Islamabad to reclaim victories.Pak: Three elected Independents declare support to Nawaz Sharifs partyRead @ANI Story | https://t.co/7W3NP5JRSL #PakistanElection #NawazSharif #Islamabad pic.twitter.com/pCuAHnYl1W— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) February 10, 2024Army chief General Asim Munir, seen as backing Sharifs party, called for unity amidst the political turmoil to unite Pakistans diverse polity with stable governance.The international community, including the US, UK and EU, have demanded an investigation into the PTIs claims of election malpractice. British Foreign Minister David Cameron noted serious concerns raised about fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections.Pakistans foreign office said these statements ignore the undeniable fact that Pakistan held a successful general election despite serious security threats.Amid circulation of alleged rigging videos, authorities suspended X service again on Saturday. After closing mobile services in Pakistan during election day, they have now blocked X in Pakistan because PTI was exposing the rigging! Khans party alleged.In Sindh province, the PPP won a majority, while in Balochistan a coalition government is expected as no party holds the seats required for a simple majority.
