Pakistan Election Result 2024: Nawaz Sharif Claims Victory Despite Counting Still In Progress

Even though the official declaration of results by the Pakistan election commission is still pending, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced victory claiming that his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party has won the election.

Almost 24 hours after the polls closed, votes were still being counted. This unexpected delay has sparked concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process.

The Pakistan election commission has attributed the slow vote counting to an “internet issue,” with Zafar Iqbal, a special secretary at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), explaining that polling officers are facing connectivity challenges. Despite assurances from the commission about ensuring timely announcements without relying on the internet, technical difficulties have hindered the transmission of final results from various polling stations.

The delay in announcing results comes amid disruptions on polling day, including the suspension of mobile phone services nationwide amid reports of violence resulting in casualties. The Interior Ministry cited “lack of communication” due to security measures as contributing to the delay.

Imran Khan, unable to contest, faced restrictions on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, leading to its exclusion from the ballot paper and forcing its candidates to run as independents. Official results indicate that independents supported by PTI have secured approximately 46 seats, surpassing both Nawaz Sharif”s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 38 seats and the Pakistan People”s Party (PPP) with 31 seats. However, none of the parties have officially reached the 134-seat threshold required to form a government independently.

The delay in announcing results has not only affected financial markets, with Karachi”s stock index and Pakistan”s sovereign bonds experiencing declines, it has also raised doubts among citizens regarding the transparency of the electoral process.

Pakistan faces significant economic hurdles, including a heavy debt burden and the need for a new bailout as the country”s nine-month bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan”s 23rd since independence in 1947, expires next month.