Massive delays in counting and allegations of rigging dominated the early hours of Thursday in Pakistan, where official poll results were still awaited even 15 hours after voting ended.
Preliminary results indicate Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has obtained a clear edge over other parties with 119 in their kitty as unofficial results continue to pour in.
Although PTI workers and supporters started celebrations before the final results, no statement — or even a tweet — has been issued by the former cricketer himself on the victory.
Pakistan will have to wait until Thursday evening for official results to be announced, ECP officials have said. It is 24 hours after polls closed on Wednesday evening. The delay in announcing the official results is due to a technical issue with the Results Transmission System (RTS), according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Election Results will be transmitted through the fastest and modern system.
According to the Election Commission, Results Transmission System (RTS) is linked to 80,000 polling stations across the country. pic.twitter.com/2AYNmeAiFF— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) July 25, 2018
With 30 percent of the total vote counted, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has obtained a clear edge over other parties with 119 in their kitty as unofficial results continue to pour in.
Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ahead in 66 constituencies, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), headed by the son of assassinated two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, led in 39 constituencies.
PTI chief will address the nation at 2 p.m. in celebration and recognition of the massive support received from the people of Pakistan in the 2018 elections which was a contest between the forces of good and evil.
PTI has swept the polls in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The preliminary results from 37 per cent polling stations in Sindh show PPP-P leading on 75 seats, followed by PTI on 22 seats.
In Balochistan, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) is leading on 12 provincial seats, followed by Balochistan National Party (BNP) on nine seats, based on unofficial results from 35 per cent polling stations.
Pakistan Election Commission has issued a notice to PTI chairman Imran Khan saying his vote could be disqualified after he cast his ballot in front of television cameras, violating “the secrecy of the ballot paper”.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif at a mid-vote count press conference said his party rejects the poll results.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) wholly rejects the results of General Elections 2018 due to manifest & massive irregularities. Form 45 was not given to our agents, results were stopped & votes were counted in the absence of our poll agents. This is both unbearable & unacceptable!
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 25, 2018
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said he had not received any official results from any constituency where he was contesting, despite it being past midnight.
It’s now past midnight & I haven’t received official results from any constituency I am contesting my myself. My candidates complaining polling agents have been thrown out of polling stations across the country. Inexcusable & outrageous.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 25, 2018
