NEW DELHI: On Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) revealed the comprehensive outcomes of the 2024 General Election, which occurred on February 8th.
As per the declared results for the National Assembly, Imran Khan backed independent candidates secured 101 seats, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, obtained 75 seats. Additionally, the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, secured 54 seats.
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party-backed independent candidates were leading on Friday in Pakistan’s election results that started trickling in following unusual delays, leading to allegations of vote rigging. General elections were marred by allegations of rigging, sporadic violence and a countrywide mobile phone shutdown.
To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 in the National Assembly. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate. Overall, 169 seats are needed to secure a simple majority out of its total 336 seats, which include the reserved slots for women and minorities.
Pakistan’s authorities were earlier moving at a snail’s pace to announce the election results that in a surprising development showed disqualified ex-prime minister Khan’s PTI supported independent candidates leading the show.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) started updating results at a faster pace after facing a barrage of criticism by the parties, especially the PTI which accused that its mandate was being stolen.
Khan, 71, a cricketer-turned-politician and the founding chairman of the PTI, is behind bars and barred from contesting. PTI candidates are running as independents after they were not allowed to use the party symbol – a cricket bat. The ECP data shows that results of 122 constituencies have been declared, which include 49 independents (mostly supported by PTI), PML-N 39, PPP 30 and other seats going to smaller parties.
The big names who won included PML-N top leaders, including former premier Sharif who won by a big margin by getting 171,024 votes against PTI-backed independent Dr Yasmin Rashid who polled 115,043.
