Pakistan's Election Commission reveals controversy-ridden general election results after three-day delay

Supporters of Imran Khan`s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party protest against the alleged skewing in Pakistan`s national election results, in Karachi on February 11, 2024. Pic/AFP

The Election Commission of Pakistan has finally disclosed the outcomes of the much-debated general elections after a delay of three days. The results reveal the initial standings of all political parties in both national and provincial assemblies. Despite claims of victory from both Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a coalition government seems inevitable due to no single party securing a majority in the National Assembly.

The voting took place across 854 national and provincial assembly constituencies, with 348 independent candidates emerging victorious, a majority of whom were supported by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. PML-N emerged as the largest party with 227 seats, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 160 seats, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) with 45 seats.

In the National Assembly, independents backed by Khan's party clinched 101 seats initially. PML-N secured 75 seats, PPP grabbed 54, and MQM-P secured 17 seats. Other parties like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), PML-Quaid, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and Balochistan National Party (BNP) also secured seats.

Candidates backed by Khan's PTI were forced to contest as independents as the party was denied its electoral symbol - the cricket bat - due to its controversial intra-party elections.

To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the National Assembly. 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 which will be decided later. About 6,05,08,212 votes were cast from all across the country in the 2024 general elections that were held on the 265 seats of the National Assembly.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 87,23,226 people cast votes for 44 NA seats with 81 per cent of the turnout. There were 2,12,60,420 registered votes. In Islamabad, 5,87,170 votes were cast for three NA seats with a 54.2 per cent voter turnout. There were 10,83,028 registered votes. In Punjab, 3,71,04,469 votes were cast for 139 NA seats and the voting turnout was 51.6 per cent. About 7,19,41,862 votes were registered. In Sindh, 1,17,90,822 votes were cast for 61 seats of the National Assembly. The voting turnout was 43.7 per cent. There were 2,69,94,069 registered votes. In Balochistan, 23,02,522 votes were cast for 16 seats of the National Assembly. The voting turnout was 42.9 per cent. There were 53,70,804 registered votes.

Meanwhile, local media reported that President Arif Alvi is duty-bound under the Constitution to summon a fresh session of the new National Assembly by February 29, as the Secretariat of the lower House has made all arrangements to welcome the newly elected members.

According to Section 91(2) of the Constitution, the president must convene the National Assembly's session after the official announcement of election results or issuance of its notification within 21 days. "The National Assembly shall meet on the twenty-first day following the day on which a general election to the assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the president," the section says.

A Pakistani journalist and analyst Nazir Leghari, commenting on the political scenario in the country following the election told PTI Video that a party begins to dilute when the people's wishes are not fulfilled. "If people's wishes are not fulfilled then there is anger and the party begins to dilute. Consequently, the people then either become irrelevant or even if they stay (with the party) they are aware that it is not the same situation and a new era has begun," Leghari said.

"Something similar happened with the Pakistan People's Party, the Pakistan Muslim League and PTI... So this is the experience of elections."

Also, it was reported that the PML-N is emerging as the leading party in the crucial Punjab Assembly.

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar has shared that party supremo Nawaz Sharif will decide who will be the next chief minister of the province soon, The News International reported.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Tarar said the PML-N was reaching out to allies to decide a name for the future chief executive of Punjab. He also claimed that the PML-N's numbers would increase to 160 in the Punjab Assembly. (With inputs from PTI)