Live: Elections 2024

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has withheld the results of NA-253 and PB-9 Kohlu and ordered re-election in seven polling stations after receiving some complaints.

Independent candidate Mian Khan Bugti was elected from NA-253 after defeating Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti.

According to an ECP notification, the polling will be held from 8am to 5pm on Feb 16.

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PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan has said that Imran’s “mandate has been stolen in the dark of the night”.

In a post on X, Hasan said, “Pakistan is being put on [the] road to further destabilisation.”

Referring to a possible coalition government led by the PML-N, he said, “The decision to induct a bunch of criminals to form governments, who have been rejected by the people, reflects a myopic view of the grave challenges the country is beset with.”

The PTI spokesperson said the current situation was “striking at the very essence of democratic principles and norms”, as well as reflected a “disdain for the national interests and the welfare of its people”.

“Forces of dark must be stopped and power must pass on to those whom the people have chosen as their leaders,” Hasan added.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F) has managed to secure two more National Assembly seats from Balochistan after its candidates were declared winners following a recount. Its total NA seats now stand at 6.

JUI-F Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Molvi Syed Samiullah were declared winners from NA-261 and NA-251, respectively.

According to the provisional results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, which were available on its website till late Tuesday night, BNP-Mengal’s Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Pashtoonkhwa National Party’s (PkNAP) Khushal Khan Kakar had won from NA-261 and NA-251, respectively.

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PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood has expressed surprise at the “gumption” of politicians who he claims have “lost their seats yet claim victory with a straight face”.

In a post on X, Mahmood said, “With such a legacy they also promise to ‘save’ Pakistan. God help us.”

The Lahore High Court has dismissed the petitions against the victory of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from NA-130, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif from PP-164 and his son Hamza Shehbaz from PP-147 with a direction to the petitioners to appro­a­­ch the Election Commis­sion of Pakistan (ECP).

PTI’s Punjab chapter president Dr Yasmin Rashid, who lost the election from NA-130, had challenged the victory of Nawaz Sharif.

Her counsel argued that respondent Sharif lost the election as per the record of Form 45, yet the returning officer (RO) declared him successful on the basis of alleged manipulated Form 47.

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi dismissed all the petitions and observed that the constitutional petitions were not maintainable before the high court without availing the first remedy under the law.

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Lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii has said that if the cases against the tabulation of Form 47 results “do not end up in clear resolutions for each constituency”, bar members and judges “should really reflect upon” what their professions are worth.

In a post on X, he said, “If these Form 45/47 issues don not end up in clear resolutions for each constituency, members of the bars as well as the benches should really reflect upon what we do and what our professions are worth.

“The law must mean more to the people than a system of inconvenience,” he added.

Two of Balochistan’s political parties have decided to launch a protest movement against the alleged election rigging, describing the Feb 8 polls as the worst in the country’s history.

Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party (PkNAP) Chairman Khushhal Khan Kakar and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) President Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti told separate press conferences on Tuesday that their parties would launch a peaceful protest against the “rigged” elections.

Kakar pledged to expose those involved in rigging and announced that from today, highways leading from Quetta to Karachi, Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Chaman and other cities would be closed for an indefinite period if the results of rigging were not corrected within two days.

He appealed to all Baloch, Pashtoon and Hazara nationalist party leaders, in­­cluding Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Ach­­akzai, to join hands with PkNAP in the movement launched against the alleged rigging.

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The PTI has said that the best option for the PML-N is to “accept [its] defeat gracefully” and let their party founder Imran Khan “fix and heal the country”.

In a post on X, the party’s official account asked, “Can anyone from PML-N camp explain how PML-N won only 17 seats and what are they supposed to do with newspaper headlines that Nawaz Sharif be PM?”

It should be mentioned that Nawaz has nominated his brother and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif for the role of the prime minister.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued victory notifications for a dozen members of the National Assembly including PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and three other members of his family.

As per the ECP’s notification the former prime minister has been declared a returned candidate from NA-130 (Lahore), his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif from NA-123 (Lahore), daughter Mar­yam Nawaz from NA-119 (Lahore) and nephew Hamza Shehbaz Sharif from NA-118 (Lahore).

The piecemeal issuance of notifications for publication in the official gazette in deviation from the tradition made many wonder if those declared successful have submitted details of the election expenses with the commission.

The commission has also declared PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar a winner from NA-127 (Lahore) and Muhammad Awn Chaudhry of IPP from NA-128 (Lahore).

ECP has also notified the victory of PML-N provincial president from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ameer Muqam, from NA-11 (Shangla).

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As per the Election Commission of Pakistan’s tally, the total number of general seats won by the six parties which announced their plans to form a coalition led by Shehbaz Sharif — PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP and BAP — comes to 152.

This clearly shows that these parties will easily achieve the minimum required number of 169 to form the government at the Centre after the addition of 60 women and 10 minority seats in their tally.

However, it is yet to be seen if these parties will be able to get to the next magic number of 224, which is required to obtain the elusive two-thirds majority in a 336-member National Assembly.

If the PTI-backed candidates decide to join the Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), as announced by the party, it will get a share in the women and minorities seats as well.

However, since the MWM has only won a seat only from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI would only be entitled to a share in the 10 reserved seats allocated to women from that province.

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PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif feels he can best support Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister and Maryam Nawaz as Punjab chief minister by helping them from behind and looking at party affairs.

Talking to Geo News, she said committees were being formed in every political party about the power-sharing setup in any future government.

PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif has nominated party president Shehbaz Sharif for the post of the country’s prime minister.

She added that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz was nominated for the post of Punjab’s chief minister.

PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has said reconciliation is needed in the current political situation and the PTI is also included in that process.

“This is not that we want that PTI does not enter reconciliation. It should and every other political force should, come and talk with us. Our economic and defence agenda should be common. We should move forward with our commonalities and then make the house of Sharif and others successful so we can make Pakistan successful.”

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has called for an end to “issues of ego”, adding that the need is for “revolutionary steps” to rescue the country’s economy.

“Come and I again invite the Charter of Economy to everyone. Come, move forward and let’s together promote the Charter of Democracy and end the things we said against one another.”

He said the enemies of the nation should be shown that it is united.

“Forgive and forget. Let us have this charter of reconciliation.”

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has requested his brother Nawaz Sharif to accept the office of the prime minister.

He also said that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz will be the Punjab chief minister candidate after the party’s consultations.

Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader Aleem Khan has said that Pakistan was going through an extremely difficult phase with inflation impacting the poor and economic crisis aggravating.

Addressing a press conference with political bigwigs in attendance, Khan said everyone had to step up for difficult decisions, which were beneficial for the country.

“I am hopeful the upcoming government of Shehbaz Sharif will efficiently take such decisions and end miseries of the poor,” he added.

He said he was thankful to Chaudhry Shujaat for inviting all political leaders for important discussions.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said the next task on the agenda is to solve the country’s economic issues.

“Today we have united to tell the nation that we all accept the split mandate. I am thankful to Zardari and Bilawal that they decided for their party to vote for the PML-N,” he said and thanked the other gathered leaders as well.

Shehbaz said the other gathered parties with represented him “almost 2/3 majority” of the Parliament after elections.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said the political leaders together with him have gathered to tell the nation that election politics of opposition was over and now was the time with the Parliament to form.

“Now our war is against the country’s challenges. The first challenge is the economy. We have to stabilise it which is a tall task. Nations move forward when their leadership unites and decides to end conflicts and take the nation forward to eliminate problems.”

MQM-Pakistan Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that no interest could be greater than serving Pakistan for any party at the moment.

“With mutual cooperation, we will strengthen democracy and support Mian Shehbaz Sharif. We have supported him before and will do so in future,” he told a news conference with political bigwigs including Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and others present alongside.

Siddiqui said everyone must put aside their political interests and move ahead with a common approach to serve the country.

PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has said that he and other political leaders realise the level of debt in the country and are aware of the issues affecting the country.

“Looking at everything, we have thought and decided to sit together. We have contested elections against each other but despite that, it is not necessary that [we fight] forever. Opposition happens in elections. It was electioneering opposition, not ideological opposition.”

Zardari said the leaders could sit together and talk together and run the country together.

PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has said that he and other political leaders gathered with him have decided to form the government together.

“We will take Pakistan out of difficulty,” he said.

Leaders of the PML-N, PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid are addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

The PML-N and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have held a meeting on the current political situation and government formation.

Both parties agreed to move forward with mutual cooperation and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the MQM-P for its support.

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), a Sindh-based political alliance, has announced to stage protest demonstration on Hyderabad-Jamshoro bypass on Feb 16 against alleged rigging in the Feb 8 general elections.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, GDA General Secretary Safdar Abbasi said the Feb 8 elections had been controversial across the world and no country was willing to accept the results.

“The PPP is not even popular among the public and the significant numbers of it obtained is itself questionable,” said Abbasi, who was flanked by other leaders including Hasnain Mirza, Liaquat Jatoi and others.

The GDA leaders appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the “fraud elections” and declare its results null and void.

In a message from jail through his family, PTI founder Imran Khan thanked the people of Pakistan for “entrusting the PTI with a resounding two-thirds majority”.

He commended the PTI’s social media and also appreciated polling agents for securing Form-45 “in the face of harassment and threats”.

“As the people of Pakistan have clearly pronounced their verdict, there is a dire need for democracy and fairness in Pakistan’s elections. I warn against the misadventure of forming a government with stolen votes. Such daylight robbery will not only be a disrespect to the citizens, but will also push the country’s economy further into a downward spiral,” Imran said.

“PTI will never compromise on people’s will, and I have categorically instructed my party against engaging with any political party that has robbed people’s mandate, including PPP, PMLN & MQM,” he added.

The PPP has announced the names of the members of its six-member committee tasked with contacting and coordinating with political parties.

Earlier in a press conference, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP would lend its support to the incoming government but would not join the federal cabinet. He said the party was constituting a committee in this regard.

In a post on X, the PPP said the committee comprises Qamar Zaman Kaira, Murad Ali Shah, Saeed Ghani, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri and Shuja Khan.

PTI founder Imran Khan, who is incarcerated at Adiala Jail, has said he is not being moved to Bani Gala, according to a statement released by the party.

In a post on X, the PTI shared a message Imran had sent for party workers via his lawyers, who met him at Adiala Jail today.

“It is our responsibility to carry forward the public’s mandate, and start working wherever the government is to be formed,” Imran said in the message.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Central Information Secretary Qaisar Sharif has told Geo News that the PTI’s proposal for a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arose in an Islamabad meeting today, adding that the JI did not give a final answer on the matter as of yet.

He said the JI would hold consultations and then give a reply to the PTI.

Sharif said the two parties were in talks soon after the elections and the JI had given an unconditional positive response to the PTI of “providing protection” to independent candidates.

The PTI has said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is trying to save his party’s hereditary politics by “corruption and power-sharing”.

In response to Bilawal’s press conference, the PTI said that if Bilawal’s approach was democratic he would have recognised the public mandate instead of holding meetings with PML-N leaders at Jati Umra.

“After the awareness given by Imran Khan, the nation knows that the PPP and the PML-N are two sides of the same coin, responsible for drowning the people in the mire of inflation and destroying the country’s economy,” the party said in a statement on X.

Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has welcomed his party’s alliance with the PTI, saying that his party has stood by Imran Khan since the events of ‘regime change’ in April 2022 and will continue to do so “till the last drop of our blood”.

“We want unity in Pakistan and desires to see this country progress,” Allama Abbas told Geo News.

Abbas said his party had no greed or made any demands from the PTI. “We have a principled stand that what happened [with the PTI] was wrong.”

The MWM chief regretted laws had been enacted recently to suppress the PTI, adding that promoting certain political parties through an agenda should not happen in a democratic culture. “I hope sanity prevails now.”

“We have told Imran that we are with him on his principles until last drop of our blood,” he told the TV channel.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said facts cannot be obscured by accusations of rigging, hinting at the PTI.

In a post on X, he said the PML-N was ready to sit in the opposition benches if independents proved their majority.