Pakistan polls updates February 9, 2024: As it happened

"We recognise ... serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections. We regret that not all parties were formally permitted to contest the elections and that legal processes were used to prevent some political leaders from participation," said UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron in a statement.

Asad Qaiser, the head of the PTI, stated that his party is considering all of its possibilities for the formation of government and will make a decision tomorrow.

"We are all celebrating today as the PML-N has become the nation's largest party in these elections," Nawaz claimed.

PTI-affiliated candidates are leading by a slight margin in the early results of the Pakistani election, followed by PMLN and PPP candidates.
 

After PML-N, PTI too announces forming governments in Centre.

Following the country's parliamentary election, Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, announced that he would try to create a coalition government. His party had trailed Imran Khan's independent candidates in the preliminary results.
 

"Everyone needs to sit together in harmony and bring the country out of its problems," Nawaz Sharif says in a speech in Lahore while calling for the independent winners to come together 'to heal a wounded nation'.

"We have to work for 10 years to bring stability. We don’t want confrontation. All of us will have to sit together."

As of 7:30pm Pakistan Time, of the 211 National Assembly results announced, the Independent Candidates are leading with 87 seats, followed by 61 seats of PMLN, 49 seats of PPP, 8 for MQM, 2 for IPP, 2 for JUI, while 1 seat each for PKMAP and PMLQ.

Results of 54 seats are awaited.

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif holds a news conference after general election

As of 7:45 pm (IST), the National Assembly results of 204 constituencies have been announced, The Independent candidates are leading with 87 seats, followed by 60 seats of PMLN, 45 seats of PPP, 6 for MQM, 2 for IPP, 2 for JUI, while 1 seat each for PKMAP and PMLQ.

Results of 61 seats are awaited.

Remember the dawn of July 21, 1988? That day, an announcement came from Rawalpindi-based Pakistan Army General Headquarters (GHQ).

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who had captured power in a coup after ousting Benazir Bhutto's father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto from premiership in 1977, declared that the scheduled elections in the country would be held on party-less basis. Zia's logic? Party-based elections were "against the spirit of Islam".

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Pakistan's interior ministry said: "The 8th of February was a great test for the entire nation, and especially when two huge terrorist incidents occurred in Pakistan in the evening of February 7 in which 28 lives were lost. It was a very difficult time for us. And at that difficult time we had to make a decision about whether , under the circumstances that we were faced with, we should keep our mobile phone services and internet services active like in normal times, and carry on with the election process? Tens of thousands of people, children, men, women, entire families were going to be voting, and present in the election points."

"Despite all precautions, 56 terrorist incidents occurred (on election day), and in those 56 incidents , we lost 3 military soldiers, 2 levies soldiers , 7 policemen, and two civilians and two children. The nation needs to realize that when a government is in power, it has to make decisions for the betterment of the people. And its foremost duty is to ensure the security of the people . And this was the reason that we decided that we had to take steps to ensure the safety of our citizens, no matter how much criticism we had to face."

PML-N candidates Shazra Mansab and Rana Tanveer Hussain have won the NA-112 and NA-114 seats from Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura respectively, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

Victory was declared on Friday (Feb 9) for the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from his NA-130 constituency in Lahore. But ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed that "the number of total valid votes is greater than total number of votes casted" in the NA-130 constituency in Lahore.

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As of 5:15 pm IST(4: 45pm PKT), of the 149 National Assembly results announced, the independent candidates are leading with 61 seats, followed by 43 seats of PMLN, 38 seats of PPP, 4 for MQM, while 1 seat each for JUIP, BNP and PMLQ -- Results of 116 seats are awaited.

As of 4: 30pm PKT (5:00 pm IST), of the 147 National Assembly results announced, the independent candidates are leading with 60 seats, followed by 43 seats of PMLN, 37 seats of PPP, 4 for MQM, while 1 seat each for JUIP, BNP and PMLQ -- Results of 118 seats are awaited.

As of 4:15 pm PKT (4:45 pm IST), of the 144 National Assembly results announced, the independent candidates are leading with 57 seats, followed by 43 seats of PMLN, 37 seats of PPP, 4 for MQM, while 1 seat each for JUIP, BNP and PMLQ -- Results of 121 seats are awaited.

As of 3: 45 pm PKT (4:15 IST), of the 140 National Assembly results announced, the independent candidates are leading with 55 seats, followed by 43 seats of PMLN, 35 seats of PPP, 4 for MQM, while 1 seat each for JUIP, BNP and PMLQ -- Results of 125 seats are awaited.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz said on Friday the nation "has no idea" about the kind of threat Pakistan and the intelligence agencies were facing at this moment.

“Not just proactively, not just through sacrifices, they are always looking to ensure the security of the people […] I am responsible for this,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn, referring to the decision of closing down mobile phone services on election day.

As of 3: 15pm PKT (3:45 pm IST), of the 128 National Assembly results announced, the independent candidates seem to be in a lead with 51 seats, followed by 39 seats of PMLN, 33 seats of PPP, 3 for MQM, while 1 seat each for JUIP, BNP and PMLQ -- Results of 137 seats are awaited.

As of 250pm PKT, of the 124 National Assembly results announced, The Independent Candidates seem to be in a lead with 49 seats, followed by 39 seats of PMLN, 30 seats of PPP, 3 for MQM, while 1 seat each for JUIP, BNP and PMLQ -- Results of 141 seats are awaited.

Asif Ali Zardari won NA-207 seat while Bilawal wins NA-196 seat. PPP's Syed Rafiullah won NA-230 seat. PPP's Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani won NA-152 seat from Multan.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif will deliver a "victory speech" after receiving the final results of the 2024 general elections, his party said claiming that it is in contact with the independent candidates — mostly supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Latif Khosa garnered 117,109 votes while Talha Saeed received only 2024 votes. Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique got 77907 votes, as per local media reports.\ Talha Saeed, son of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, has lost the Lahore contest.

PTI-backed independent candidate Sohail Sultan has won the NA-4 seat from Swat with 88,009 votes, according to the provisional results released by the ECP.

PTI-backed independent candidate Anwar Taj has won the NA-24 seat from Charsadda with 89,801 votes, according to the provisional results released by the ECP.

The Islamabad police have registered a case against 30 people for preparing a public meeting of PTI in Bhara Kahu. According to the FIR, a police team got information that 25 to 30 persons, 10 to 15 of them armed with weapons, were present at Dhoke Jillani Ground and preparing for a public meeting of the PTI. The police reached the ground and found 14 identified and 22 unidentified persons chanting slogans in favour of PTI’s Shoaib Shaheen.

PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari garnered 85,370 votes and won the NA-196 seat in Qamber Shahdadtkot-I, according to the provisional results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

As of 1255pm PKT, of the 70 National Assembly results announced, The PPP and Independent candidates are leading at a tie of 24 seats each followed by 18 seats of PMLN, while 1 seat each for JUIP, MQM, BNP and PMLQ. The results of 195 seats are awaited.

PPP candidate  Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur won the NA-222 seat from Badin-I after getting 113,916 votes, as per the ECP

PPP candidate Jam Abdul Karim Bijar garnered 55,732 votes and won Malir’s NA-229 in Karachi, as per the preliminary results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan.  

PTI-backed independent candidate Amjad Ali Khan clinched victory in NA-2 seat in Swat-I with 88,938 votes, as per the provisional results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
 

The Pakistan Stock Exchange’s benchmark KSE-100 index fell by 1,700 points as the results of the general elections in Pakistan remained uncertain.

As of 1205pm PKT, of the 63 National Assembly results announced, the Independent Candidates seem to be in a lead with 21 seats, followed 21 seats of PPP, 17 seats each of PMLN, while 1 seat each for JUIP, MQM, BNP and PMLQ. Meanwhile, results on 202 seats are still awaited.

PPP’s Zulfiqar Bachani won the NA-217 seat from Tando Allah Yar with 119,530 votes, as per the preliminary results from the Election Commission of Pakistan. 

PPP’s Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah received 120,219 votes and won from the NA-201 seat in Sukkur-II, according to preliminary results from the election commission.

Former prime minister and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif with 38,642 votes won the PP-158 seat in Lahore, according to preliminary results from the Election Commission of Pakistan.
 

PTI leader Asad Qaiser with 115,635 votes won the NA-19 from Swabi, according to the ECP.

PPP’s Khalid Ahmed Khan Lund won Ghotki’s NA-198 with 120,259 votes, as per the ECP.

PML-N’s Syed Sajid Mehdi won NA-157 in Vehari-II with 99,332 votes, as per the ECP. PTI-backed candidate was on second place with Sabeen Safdar with 79,996 votes.

Independent candidate Muhammad Raza Hayat Hiraj received with 118,999 votes and won NA-144 in Khanewal-I , according to the ECP.

PML-N’s Syed Imran Ahmed Shah garnered 118,240 votes and won the NA-141 seat in Sahiwal-I, according to the ECP. PTI-backed candidate Rana Amir Shahzad Tahir was second with 107,056 votes.

PML-N leader Nadeem Abbas, with 129,218 votes, won the NA-135 seat in Okara, according to the ECP. PTI-backed candidate Malik Muhammad Akram Bhatti was second with 106,700 votes. 

PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan with 110,023 votes won NA-10 in Buner, according to the ECP. ANP’s Abdul Rauf was second with 30,302 votes.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif won in his constituency- the NA-130 with 171,024 votes, Geo News reported on Friday. 

Out of the results of 34 seats announced by the Election Commission, the PML-N has won 13 seats, independent candidates have won 12 seats, the PPP has won eight seats and the PMLQ has won only one seat.

Mainstream political parties in Pakistan including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) have alleged rigging in the general elections. 

In Karachi, the PPP claimed that ballot papers were snatched from electoral staff in the PS-105 constituency, Dawn reported.

In Punjab, PTI-backed candidate for Sialkot Rehana Dar said the returning officer refused to give her Form 45. 

PML-N leader Sultan Haider Ali Khan won in the PP-20 (Chakwal-I) constituency with 52,450 votes, a report by the Dawn said on Friday citing the election commission. Independent candidate Ali Nasir Khan is on the second spot with 43,250 votes.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed concern about violence in Pakistan and the suspension of mobile communications services on election day in the South Asian nation, his spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Pakistan counted votes after polling ended on Thursday in a general election marred by militant attacks and suspension of mobile phone services, with no indication of a clear leader hours after voting closed - an unusual delay compared to previous polls. 

According to the Pakistan election body, Fazal Muhammad Khan is the latest PTI-affiliated candidate to win the National Assembly race in his constituency (NA-25 Charsadda-II).

In Pakistan's Punjab constituency, the PML-N is holding a lead with four seats. A total of 293 constituencies still await results. PTI appears poised to strengthen its position in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, having secured 14 out of 115 seats thus far.

An independent candidate affiliated with the PTI Waseem Qadir has secured a win after defeating main rival and PMLN-leader Rohail Asghar from Punjab constituency. 

Maryam Nawaz has emerged victorious from Punjab Assembly seat PP-159 Lahore 15 with 23,598 votes, while Independent candidate Meher Sharaft Ali came second with 21,491 votes.

Estranged PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the “people of Pakistan have spoken” as results begin to come out for general elections 2024.

BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has won the National Assembly election from NA-261 Surab-Cum-Kalat-Cum-Mastung by securing 3,404 votes, APP reports.
 

PTI-backed independent candidate Zubair Khan has come out victorious in PK-34 Battagram with 13,501 votes.
 

PPP leader Mehboob Ali Khan Bijarani has secured victory in PS-6 Kashmore III with 86,365 votes while Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar won from PS-21 with 63,578 votes.
 

PML-N’s Abrar Ahmed has successfully won from NA-55 Rawalpindi IV with 78,542 votes while Tahir Iqbal from the same party clinched NA-58 Chakwal I, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
 

Former prime minister and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif has won the National Assembly 123 seat from Lahore with 63,953 votes, according to the ECP.