Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan wins vote but no majority
The Election Commission said Friday that with only 11 seats left to count, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enjoys a strong lead with 114 seats, and will be the biggest party in parliament.
Published: 27th July 2018 02:58 PM | Last Updated: 27th July 2018 03:05 PM | A+A A-
In this photo provided by the office of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Pakistani politician Imran Khan, chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, delivers his address in Islamabad, Pakistan,July 26, 2018. (Photo | AP)
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan has won a disputed Pakistan election but has fallen short of an outright majority, according to official results announced Friday that indicate he will need to enter into a coalition to form a government.
A jubilant Khan has already declared victory in the pivotal vote, which has drawn allegations of massive vote-rigging in his favour.
The Election Commission said Friday that with only 11 seats left to count, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enjoys a strong lead with 114 seats, and will be the biggest party in parliament.
At a press conference, the commission said that the outgoing Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had 63 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which could prove kingmaker in a coalition government, had won 43.
Election officials are under fire for the lack of a full official result two days after ballots closed, an unprecedented delay that observers say has undermined the legitimacy of the exercise.
The ECP has dismissed allegations of manipulation -- blaming the delay in the results, an unofficial version of which had been expected late Wednesday, on technical glitches.
International observers, including a European Union delegation, are due to give their preliminary assessments of the vote on Friday, after rival parties, including the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, alleged "blatant" rigging.
The vote is meant to be a rare democratic transition in the nuclear-armed Muslim country, which has been ruled by the powerful army for roughly half its history but has been marred by violence and allegations of military interference.
"We were successful and we were given a mandate," he said from his home in the capital Islamabad.
The former all-rounder's statement came after his supporters took to the streets to celebrate winning an election that opponents have said the military fixed for him.
