Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party has emerged the single largest party in the country’s National Assembly on Friday, with results for 251 out of 272 unreserved constituencies available, Dawn reported. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf won 110 out of the 251 seats, but will need to ally with other parties to form a majority government.
The majority mark for a single party to form the government is 137.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had won just 63 out of the 251 seats on Friday morning. The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians was third with 42 seats.
Khan’s party had also won in 118 out of the 289 seats in the Punjab Provincial Assembly for which results had come in. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf won 20 out of 118 seats in Sindh, 66 out 95 seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly, and four out of 45 seats in Balochistan. The total number of seats in Punjab is 295, in Sindh 129, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 97 and in Balochistan 50.
On Thursday, Khan said he has secured the chance to fulfill his dream to serve the nation. “I thank god, after 22 years of struggle, my prayers have been answered,” Khan said.
The former cricketer said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf will work towards empowering the poor, labourers, and farmers. He said his party’s focus will be on justice, equality and opportunities.
Khan said he was disappointed with the Indian media, who had portrayed him as a “Bollywood villain”, and added that he was ready to hold talks with New Delhi. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief claimed that Kashmir remains the biggest contention between India and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif claimed the election had been “stolen”, Dawn reported. Talking to visitors in Adalia Jail in Rawalpindi, Sharif said the “tainted and dubious” results of the elections would impact the politics of the country. His party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), has rejected the results.
It remains to be seen which parties will enter an alliance with Khan to form the government. In May, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had said that an alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was possible after the polls.
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