Pak elections 2018: When Pakistan witnessed its second democratic transfer of power since 1947 

Neighbouring nation Pakistan witnessed high-voltage general elections earlier this year which resulted in cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's rise as the South Asian nation's 22nd Prime Minister.

The victory was immensely significant for Khan as he finally achieved his dream of assuming the seat of Pakistan's Wazeer-e-Azam after a political struggle of over two decades.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), swept the general polls which were conducted on July 25 after which Pakistan's Parliament cleared the way for the 65-year-old Khan to set up a coalition government. Khan's party emerged as the single largest party both in terms of popular vote and seats.

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PTI won 116 of the 272 elected seats in the National Assembly.

The party garnered 151 of the 342 seats in the lower chamber of parliament, short of a majority. In the lower house vote, Khan managed to bag 176 votes to defeat Shehbaz Sharif from the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, who won 96 votes.

Khan invited independent candidates and smaller parties to support PTI to form a government. Parties like PML (Q), Balochistan Awami Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Grand Democratic Alliance, Jamhoori Watan Party and as many as 9 independent candidates extended support to PTI.

This year's election was also significant as it was only the second democratic transfer of power since Pakistan’s 1947 independence. It came at a time when relations with on-off ally the United States are fraying over alleged Pakistani support for militants waging war in Afghanistan. Islamabad denies aiding insurgents.

No Pakistani premier has ever completed a five-year term in office, including Sharif, whose most recent stint in power was ended by the Supreme Court last year.

Sharif, who was jailed over corruption accusations several weeks before the election, saw his second stint in power ended by a military coup in 1999.

Khan's grand success in the election ended decades of political dominance by two dynastic powerhouses, the PML-N of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), founded and led by the Bhutto family.

2018 Pakistan general elections were marred by allegations of rigging levelled by Opposition parties. The parties alleged that Khan’s path to power was made easier by the tacit support of the powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly half its history. The army and Khan’s PTI denied any collusion.

Khan shot back that he had “struggled 22 years” to become premier. “No military dictator raised me. I got here on my own.”

After assuming office as Pakistan's Prime Minister, Khan, a firebrand nationalist, promised to create millions of jobs and build world-class hospitals and school systems in the mainly-Muslim country of 208 million people.

Imran Khan has gaping challenges staring him in the face. Putting Pakistan's dwindling economy back on track is one of his biggest challenges -- to get an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout to ease currency pressures, else seek support from China and risk deepening Pakistan’s economic dependence on its neighbour.

Smoothening ties with India and the United States is another.