Live: Elections 2024

PTI leader Barrister Gohar Khan has said that all those politicians who switched loyalties in the past were outright rejected by the people in the Feb 8 elections.

Speaking to Geo News, he said the party is looking into the matter of the PTI-backed independent Waseem Qadir joining the PML-N.

“The rest of the independent candidates are in touch with us and will stay with us only,” he asserted.

Gohar also clarified that the party had not asked the winning independent candidates to take an oath or resign from their seats in an effort to prevent them from switching their loyalties.

PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that party founder Imran Khan has given instructions to make governments in the Centre, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

“We will not do this that we remain outside or sit outside the assemblies. We have to sit in Parliament and find solutions to all problems there.”

PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has ruled out talks with both the PML-N and the PPP for forming the next federal government.

Talking on Dawn News show Doosra Rukh, he said: “We don’t feel comfortable with both of them [for talks]. There will be no talk with anyone to make a government or to make a government together with them. It is better to sit in the opposition than to make a government [with them] but we think we have the majority.”

He reiterated that the party would form the opposition if its mandate was not accepted.

Waseem Qadir, the PTI-backed candidate who won from Lahore’s NA-121 constituency, has joined the PML-N.

Speaking in a video posted by the party, Qadir — who can be seen standing alongside PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz — said: “I have returned to my home.”

Initially the party had made the announcement in a post describing Qadir as a PTI-backed candidate.

It deleted the post minutes later and posted a new one, referring to him as an independent candidate.

It should be mentioned that Qadir had won from NA-121 after defeating PML-N’s Sheikh Rohale Asghar.

Former PPP senator Farhatullah Babar has questioned the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) delay in uploading Form 45 and Form 47 of every constituency on its official website.

In a post on X, he stated that the electoral watchdog could have uploaded the data to “refute allegations of complicity”.

PPP central information secretary Faisal Karim Kundi has said that party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari should opt to sit in the opposition if he doesn’t secure the post of prime minister in a “stable coalition alliance”.

In a post on X, Kundi said: “Let’s prioritise our party and continue serving the people from that position.”

“You might be wondering why it has taken us a couple of days to talk about Pakistan politics and Pakistani elections, one of our favourite subjects; that’s because one, the situation has been fast-moving and second, the situation has been much too cluttered also for me to hold forth on it…”

This is how The Print’s editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta started his Cut The Clutter episode 48 hours after the general elections. And cluttered undoubtedly it has been.

Following the turbulent year Pakistan’s politics has faced, the international media’s coverage of the country’s elections — undisputedly controversial even before the date was announced — has been hard-hitting, to say the least.

From the pre-poll phase to election day irregularities to the post-poll counting process — the attempts to subvert the PTI that were blatantly executed have not gone unnoticed; neither has the fact that PTI-backed candidates clinched majority National Assembly seats in spite of them.

Here, Dawn.com looks at some of the reporting and analysis from across the globe on the elections that were, contrary to the pre-poll predictions, anything but predictable.

Read more here

PTI’s Meher Bano Qureshi has said that independents won’t and can’t shift their loyalties to any other party.

Speaking on DawnNews show “*Doosra Rukh”, she highlighted that PTI candidates, who are being referred to as independents, received all the votes due to Imran Khan.

“If they think they can switch their loyalties to the highest bidder, they won’t be able to go out in public,” she concluded.

PTI-backed independent candidate Rehana Dar — who contested the general elections from NA-71 Sialkot — has warned that she won’t sit quiet against alleged rigging in her constituency.

“I have told you I will not sit quietly nor will the public,” she said in a post on X, adding that people had taken to the streets against those stealing votes and mandates.

PTI leader Hammad Azhar has urged party supporters to “remain calm and peaceful”.

In a post on X, he warned PTI supporters that authorities wanted “scenes of clashes and violence”, adding that they should back off if provoked.

“Do not clash with them,” he said. “Capture the footage,” he added.

Azhar also highlighted that PTI was a peaceful party committed to rule of law and the democratic process.

PML-N leader Azam Nazeer Tarar has expressed that “reconciliatory politics” greatly benefits Pakistan, underscoring the need for all like-minded political parties to engage in politics from a single platform.

Speaking to reporters, he described the visit of an MQM-P delegation to his party’s office as a “goodwill visit.”

He also mentioned plans for another round of talks with MQM-P in a day or two.

Regarding decisions concerning the federal level, he emphasized that they would be made based on the prevailing ground realities.

President Dr Arif Alvi has congratulated the people, women and youth of the country who came out in large numbers and voted to strengthen democracy.

“The youth deserve a special mention, and I praise them for having decided to take charge of the country by participating peacefully in the voting process. ,” Alvi said in a post on X.

’They have put their faith in democracy,“ he said.

He stated that a “true mandate” was essential to come out of the “severe financial crunch, to make difficult decisions, to repair, and to heal the bitterness of the past”.

“Nothing can crystallise unless this huge mandate of my citizens is respected and recognised,” he said.

“Come rise my people, unite, put everything together, repair and build. The world awaits you,” he added.

Former law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that it is common knowledge that no single political party possesses the mandate to form a government independently, underscoring the necessity of the formation of a “coalition government”.

“We aim to establish a strong alliance at the Centre, ensuring representation from all provinces to strengthen the Federation and Pakistan,” the PML-N leader told reporters.

He said the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is very much in favour of consultations and he also held a detailed meeting today.

PML-N leader Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that the party has conducted extensive consultations and formed a legal team to address rigging allegations, emphasising the party’s stance to defend its case in court.

Speaking to reporters, the former law minister said that PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique’s electoral defeat did not result in the party playing the victim card and approaching the courts.

Criticising the PTI, Tarar accused it of habitually fabricating falsehoods to create an illusion of truth.

MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that political and financial stability is paramount for the country’s well-being than anything else at the moment.

Talking to reporters after a meeting with a PML-N delegation in Karachi, Siddiqui said talks with the Nawaz-led party mostly centered around resolving the crises faced by the country.

He urged political leaders to foster a “conducive atmosphere” and work on a cohesive plan to safeguard Pakistan’s interests before having talks on forming the next government.

He cautioned against confrontation among political forces, warning that such tensions could lead Pakistan into a severe crisis.

To a question about the formation of the next government, Siddiqui said that discussions on this topic have not yet taken place. He emphasised the importance of engaging with all political parties on the matter before any decisions are made.

JUI-F workers have blocked a portion of Hub River Road in Karachi in protest against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections.

During an address to the protesters, JUI-F leader Sami Swati said the party was holding “peaceful protest”, affirming that no property damage has been caused by their workers.

Swati further accused the Election Commission in Sindh of operating as a “B Team” of the PPP.

MQM-Pakistan Convener Khalid Maqbool has said that discussions during a meeting with the PML-N delegation did not involve any talks about forming the next government.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Siddiqui said the elections have created a challenging situation and all parties must play their role in steering the country out of crisis.

“The stability of democracy is more important than anything else,” he said. He insisted no discussion has yet taken place regarding the formation of the government.

Siddiqui said it also not yet confirmed whether the MQM would get any share in the government or not.

His remarks came shortly after the PML-N released a statement saying that the two parties had reached a “principle agreement” to work together in the upcoming government.

“We will work together in the interest of the country and public,” the statement had said, adding that basic points had been agreed upon by the two parties.

The PTI has shared a video on X, showing Lahore police apprehending a man aboard a car, purportedly for waving the party flag.

According to the PTI, “police arrested a peaceful person travelling with his family for waving a PTI flag.”

The leader of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has vowed a comeback after its vote share evaporated in Feb 8 general elections, AFP reports.

Saad Hussain Rizvi’s TLP party rode the issue to emerge the largest Islamist force in 2018 polls, but its prominence was all but eroded in last week’s national and provincial elections.

Analysts say the death of Rizvi’s charismatic father Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who founded the party, and a loss of patronage from Pakistan’s powerful generals cost them dearly.

Speaking to supporters in Lahore on Saturday, Rizvi said the enemies of Islam had stopped his party.

“This rigging has taken place because we speak about rights, and we talk about a faith that those with power in this world do not accept,” he told AFP.

When asked if he could fill his father Khadim Rizvi’s shoes, he responded matter-of-factly. “Bringing people onto the streets, and bringing people out to vote was not a problem for TLP in the past and it is not a problem now.”

“Khadim Rizvi had the kind of leadership and charisma that his son does not have,” Arafat Mazhar, who works on blasphemy law reform, told AFP.

The JUI-F held a protest in Karachi against alleged “malpractices” during the elections, a party spokesperson said.

Speaking to Dawn.com, JUI-F spokesperson Sami Swati told Dawn.com that the party’s protesters blocked the Superhighway near Al Asif Square and Hub River Road at 8am.

The PPP has called its Central Executive Committee meeting at Zardari House in Islamabad tomorrow.

The meeting comes days after party chairman Asif Ali Zardari met PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the formation of a coalition government.

PTI has rejected the “shameful” attempts at creating “PDM 2” in the country by trampling on the intentions of the people, a statement released by the party said.

“The economic and administrative disaster that Pakistan is suffering today is the responsibility of PDM, an incompetent, worthless and rejected group of criminals.”

The statement said the PTI was the “largest and most popular party in the country” and it therefore had the basic constitutional, democratic, moral and political right to form a government.

“The chief election commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan are the main facilitators in the open robbery of democracy,” it added. The PTI also demanded the immediate resignation of the CEC and members of the ECP.

The police have warned they would come down hard on illegal gatherings after the PTI urged supporters to protest alleged rigging in the election, AFP reports.

Authorities have warned they would take strict action, saying Section 144 orders were in place in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

AFP correspondents saw dozens of police equipped with riot gear assembling near Liberty Market in Lahore.

The MQM-P and PML-N, after an hour-long meeting earlier in the day, have reached a “principle agreement” to work together in the upcoming government, according to a statement released by the Nawaz Sharif-led party.

“We will work together in the interest of the country and public,” the statement said, adding that basic points had been agreed upon by the two parties.

The meeting was attended by MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Farooq Sattar, Kamran Tessori and Mustafa Kamal.

From the PML-N’s side, the Sharif brothers, Ishaq Dar, Maryam Nawaz, Rana Sanaullah, Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad Rafiq were in attendance among others.

PkMAP’s Mehmood Khan Achakzai has won the NA-266 seat from Balochistan with 67,028 seats, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

JUI-F’s Salahuddin is the runner-up with 58,439 votes.

Ahead of its nationwide protests against alleged rigging, the PTI has claimed that police have “hijacked” its demonstration sites.

“First they try to steal public mandate, and then they try to hijack peaceful protests!” PTI said in a post on X.

“IG Punjab, who has committed violations of human rights, is once again resorting to such tactics.”

BNP’s Akhtar Mengal has won the NA-261 seat from Balochistan with 27,311 votes, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

The second in the lead is JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri with 25,688 votes.

JUI-F has clinched the NA-260 seat from Balochistan with 42,670 votes, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

The runner-up is PML-N’s Fatah Muhammad.

The National Party’s candidate has won the NA-258 seat from Balochistan’s Panjgur and Kech with 22,261 votes, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

The second in the race is BNP-A’s Noor Ahmed Adil.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has stopped the returning officer from releasing the provisional results for the NA-15 (Mansehra) constituency.

A four-member bench conducted the hearing for NA-15 after former premier Nawaz Sharif challenged the results.

“We have not received Form 45s of 125 polling stations of NA-15 Mansehra,” Nawaz’s lawyer contended before the electoral watchdog, adding that the presiding officer for the polling station was expelled by the polling agents.

Nawaz’s lawyer argued that Form 47 cannot be issued without Form 45 and the Form 47 submitted by the returning officer is not correct.

“The election was not transparent in this constituency,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the ECP to conduct transparent elections.

Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party’s Khushal Khan Kakar has won the NA-251 seat from Balochistan with 45,712 votes, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

The runner-up is JUI-F’s Syed Samiullah with 44,736 votes.

The MQM-P’s delegation has departed from Jati Umra after an hour-long meeting with the PML-N’s top leadership.

Led by convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and comprising Dr Farooq Sattar, Kamran Tessori and Mustafa Kamal, the MQM-P delegation arrived at the Sharifs’ residence a little after 11:30am. None of the parties, however, held a press conference following the meeting.

The interaction comes after PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif called on all the political parties, excluding the PTI, to work together as a coalition government.

A day earlier, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb told a private news channel that former premier Shehbaz Sharif had held a meeting with PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari, but both would consult their parties regarding the formation of a coalition government.

PML-N spokesperson for Punjab Uzma Bukhari has said that her party is in a position to form a government without needing a coalition.

“God willing, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, the path towards progress and development in Punjab will restart,” she said, adding that no other party in Punjab could match the PML-N’s victory.

She said it was “unjustified” for PTI-backed candidate Advocate Salman Akram Raja to have petitioned in the Lahore High Court against Awn Chaudhry of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party. She added that such matters should be taken to election tribunals instead.

Bukhari claimed that members of the PTI circulated fake messages of their victory on WhatsApp, as well as to the media, and later “cried about rigging because they had no other option”.

“PML-N is a responsible party, we don’t lie, we don’t believe propaganda,” she added.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has condemned the death of civilians and a policeman in a clash between two groups in Larkana.

In a statement, the ex-foreign minister demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits and extended sympathy to the grieving family.

Earlier, several media outlets reported that three people, including a cop, were killed in a clash between two political parties in Larkana.

PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan has urged supporters to participate in peaceful protests across the country against alleged rigging in polls.

In a message on X, he said the nation had reposed their confidence in Imran Khan’s message of “ghulami na manzoor [slavery unacceptable]” and came out in large numbers to vote on Feb 8.

“But instead of surrendering to the decision of the people, they are trying to steal the people’s mandate,” Gohar claimed, adding that the PTI founder Imran Khan wanted supporters to hold peaceful demonstrations today against the delay in poll results.

The Islamabad police have warned against protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan and other government buildings, warning that Section 144 was still imposed in the capital.

The PTI, JUI-F, and JI have announced countrywide protests today against alleged rigging in the elections.

Balochistan National Party’s Khalid Hussain Magsi has clinched the NA-254 seat from Balochistan with 79,304 votes, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

The runner-up is JUI-F’s Nizamuddin Lehri from the JUI-F.

In a post on X, the JI announced that they will be holding protests 4pm onwards at eight different locations across Karachi.

PML-N’s Sadar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasir has emerged victorious on the NA-252 seat from Balochistan with 53,783 votes, according to provisional results released by the ECP.

The runner-up is independent candidate Sardar Babar Khan Musakhel with 52,992 votes.

The delay in several poll results across Balochistan is a result of logistical issues, caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai said while speaking to the media in Quetta.

“When it’s freezing cold in some areas, it’s natural that results will be delayed because of logistical issues,” he said. “Even the election commission has said this.”