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The party of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan won a majority of Mandaeans in the February 8 election, according to still-incomplete results. I said I’m ready. The decision to form a government comes as the nuclear-armed nation’s powerful military warns that politicians should prioritize the interests of the people over their own interests.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has so far announced winners for 253 of the 265 contested seats, with counting delayed due to mobile service disruptions.
According to these results, an independent party supported by Prime Minister Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 92 seats, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 71 seats, and Pakistan The People’s Party (PPP) won 54 seats. . The rest are scattered among other small parties and candidates.
Both Mr. Khan and Mr. Sharif declared victory.
With the results appearing to point to a hung parliament, PTI acting chairman Gohar Ali Khan said at a press conference in Islamabad on February 10 that candidates supported by his party won the most seats, leaving the government in power. He said he was aiming to establish a new plant.
Khan also announced that if the complete results are not announced by the evening of February 10, the PTI will hold a peaceful protest on February 11.
The third-place PPP, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, could play a kingmaker role in talks to form a coalition government.
Sharif announced on February 9 that he would send his brother, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, as a special envoy to negotiate with the PPP and other parties to form a coalition.
The election took place in a highly polarized environment, with former cricket superstar Khan and his party kept out of the election. Khan was convicted of corruption and leaking state secrets and is currently in prison. He also saw his marriage annulled by the courts.
In the early hours of February 10, Pakistan’s powerful military commander urged the country’s political class to put aside their conflicts and work in the interests of the people.
General Syed Asim Munir: “Moving forward from politics of anarchy and polarization requires a stable workforce and a healing touch, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people.” Said In a statement.
“Political leaders and their staff should go beyond self-interest and engage synergistically in governing and serving the people, which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful,” Munir said. said.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its history since its separation from India in 1947, still wields enormous power and influence.
The Feb. 8 vote came amid heightened political tensions and escalating violence, with authorities deploying more than 650,000 military, paramilitary and police personnel across the country.
Despite increased security, violence continued after the election. On February 10, Mohsin Dawar, leader of the Pakistan National Democratic Movement, shot and injured It is located in the North Waziristan tribal district of Pakistan.
Daward was shot and wounded while addressing supporters in front of a military camp in Miramsha, in the country’s northwest.
Dhawar, a prominent Pashtun politician, was shot in the thigh and rushed to a nearby hospital, where his condition is stable. He was then transferred to the capital, Islamabad, for further treatment. His injuries are not life-threatening.Video of bloody Dawar goes viral on social media
Three supporters were killed and 15 others injured in the attack, party member and witness Rahim Dawar, who is not related to the Pashtun politician, told RFE/RL.
Dhawal, who was running for the House of Representatives election, arrived at the local election committee headquarters in a military garrison to request officials to announce the results of the vote.
Soldiers barred Dawar from entering and he was then shot dead as he addressed supporters outside his office. Mr Dawar’s supporters have accused police and security forces of opening fire on them.
Security forces have not yet responded to the allegations. Local media reported, citing unnamed security sources, that a police officer was also killed in the incident, but RFE/RL could not confirm this.
Dhawal won a five-year term in 2018 and served as a member of parliament until its dissolution. Election officials announced later the same day that Dawar had lost the election.
Crisis-hit Pakistan is suffering from runaway inflation, while Islamabad is struggling to repay more than $130 billion in foreign debt.
Following reports of fraud during the February 8 vote, the United States, United Kingdom and European Union expressed concern about the way the vote was conducted and prompted an investigation.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected this criticism on February 10.
PTI was barred from participating in the polls because the ECP did not properly register as a political party. Later, the party’s candidates decided to run as independents after the Supreme Court and the ECP said they could not use the party’s symbol, the cricket bat. Political parties in this country use symbols to help illiterate voters find them on ballots.
However, independents backed by the PTI have emerged as the strongest force in the new parliament. Under Pakistani law, a candidate must join a political party within 72 hours of officially confirming election victory. You can join the PTI if you require the necessary administrative steps to be approved by the ECP and recognized as a party.
Khan, 71, served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. Although he remains immensely popular, his political future and return to the political spotlight is uncertain.
Reports by Reuters, AFP, and Associated Press
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