UPDATE - Pakistan polls: Imran Khan-backed candidates ahead as final results near

UPDATES WITH LATEST RESULTS, ADDS PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT, MINOR EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Aamir Latif and Islamuddin Sajid

KARACHI, Pakistan / ISLAMABAD (AA) - While final results are yet to be declared, independent candidates, mainly backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan are in the lead in Pakistan's elections, state media reported on Saturday. The polls concluded on Thursday.

The independents supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party are ahead of two major parties, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and three-time ex-Premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced provisional results of 253 out of 266 direct seats of the lower house, the National Assembly. The independents won 100 seats, followed by the PML-N getting 71, and PPP grabbing 54.

The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), a regional party based in commercial hub Karachi and Hyderabad, surprisingly won 17 National Assembly seats.

More than 20 seats have been won by several regional and religiopolitical parties.

A party requires 169 seats in a 336-member National Assembly to form the government with a simple majority.

- Provincial positions

In Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, the PML-N was ahead of others, while the independents lead in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, comfortably in a position to form the government.

In the southern Sindh province, the PPP has won a majority, while in southwestern Balochistan, the country's largest province in terms of land, a coalition government is expected as no party got seats required for a simple majority.

- Rigging allegations, victory speech, national unity government

While election results indicated no clear winner, PTI's Khan claimed victory in a speech generated through AI, and called on his supporters to celebrate the win.

Nawaz, meanwhile, claimed his party won the most seats and called for forming a unity government, saying it is the only solution to the simmering political and economic crises faced by the country.

Delayed results and suspension of mobile networks on election day have prompted allegations of fraud and calls for protests. The election commission has been accused of manipulating the results, a charge denied by the authority.

- Army chief calls for 'healing touch'

Congratulating the nation on the conduct of the elections, army chief Gen. Asim Munir said the nation needs a "healing touch," arguing that the diverse country of 240 million people could be "well-represented" by a unity government.

"Pakistan’s diverse polity and pluralism will be well-represented by a unified government of all democratic forces imbibed with national purpose," Gen. Munir said in a statement released by the military's media wing.

"Elections and democracy are means to serve people of Pakistan and not ends in themselves. The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarization which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people," he added.

- Islamabad reacts to polling 'concerns'

Amid concerns expressed over delayed poll results, Islamabad said it was surprised by the "negative tone" of some of the statements.

The Foreign Ministry said these countries and organizations "neither take the complexity of the electoral process nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis."

"These statements ignore the undeniable fact that Pakistan has held general elections, peacefully and successfully, while dealing with serious security threats resulting primarily from foreign sponsored terrorism," said the ministry.

The US and EU have expressed concerns over suspension of mobile and internet service on election day, demanding probe into allegations of interference into the electoral process.

- Electronic voting

Commenting on the delay in election results and the ensuing crisis due to allegations of fraud, President Arif Alvi said they struggled to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs), but all efforts were "scuttled."

"EVM had paper ballots that could be counted separately by hand (like it is being done today) BUT it also had a simple electronic calculator/counter of each vote button pressed. Totals of every candidate would have been available & printed within five minutes of closing of poll," the president said on X.

"The entire effort that included more than 50 meetings at the Presidency alone was scuttled. Had EVMs been there today, my dear beloved Pakistan would have been spared this crisis,” he added.

Khan’s government had passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill in November 2021, allowing electronic vote counting, but the law was amended after his ouster from power, removing the use of EVMs.