Live: Elections 2024

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza has called the Senate’s attention towards the “situation arising from recently held elections in the country”.

In a calling attention notice submitted to the Senate, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, he raised the following concerns:

1. How did the election commission (ECP), the caretaker government and other institutions conduct the elections in the country?
2. Were the election results according to the public’s expectations?
3. How many political parties accepted the election results?
4. What situation has arisen in the country after the release of the poll results?

Senator Murtaza asserted that a debate should be held in the upper house so that “no political or economic crisis arises in the coming days”, and that a solution could be found.

PPP Sindh president Senator Nisar Khuhro has said that parties protesting against the party’s success in Sindh are “insulting” the decision of the people.

In a statement, Khuhro said: “Sit-ins against the PPP’s victory in Sindh are against the people.

“If the people have rejected GDA and JUI-F then don’t ridicule the people by holding sit-ins,” he said, adding that the those organisaing the demonstrations should focus on other issues the country is facing.

“Don’t take take out anger for people’s decision on the people themselves,” Khuhro said. He stated that the parties protesting against PPP’s success were only pitting the people against themselves.

“The PPP does not need to join any other party to form the government in Sindh,” he said, adding that the PPP will lead the province without any discrimination.

Rawalpindi’s Sadiqabad police have booked 62 PTI leaders and workers for violating Section 144 and damaging state property during a rally on Sunday evening.

According to a first information report filed by Sadiqabad Sub-inspector Abdul Ghafoor on Sunday night, a rally comprising 300-350 people — led by Seemabia Tahir and Tanvir Aslam Raja — gathered outside the divisional election commissioner’s office and blocked the road at around 6:30pm.

The FIR said PTI workers gave “inciteful speeches and pelted stones on officers and employees stationed there”, which damaged the bonnet and windows of a state vehicle.

The case was registered under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance.

In a post on X, PTI leader Hammad Azhar stated that PML-N is finished, and Punjab is now firmly under PTI’s control. Azhar said that PTI would win the next election with a 2/3 majority.

He also warned that any PTI members caught accepting money would be taken to court for disqualification. Azhar said that they have all Form 45 and the elected member will sit in the assembly

PTI leader Hammad Azhar has said there is “heavy” police deployment outside the party’s office in Lahore.

Recalling an incident from last month when the office was allegedly “burnt down by ‘unidentified men’”, he said the place had been empty since then.

Legal expert Osama Malik has said that courts in Pakistan are in a “very delicate role” at the moment.

“They will need to decide whether to order recounts in various constituencies,” he said according to AFP.

He said that the recount in multiple constituencies could also delay the calling of parliament so the courts need to be wary of the situation.

Lawyer Ahmad Pansota has said that Form 47 issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan that “do not correspond to the Form 45” for that constituency can be challenged by the candidates before the ECP.

In a post on X, he said that the Form 47 could be challenged under sections 8 (power of commission to ensure fair election) and 9 (power of the commission to declare a poll void) of the Elections Act 2017.

PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique says all stakeholders “should be concerned about the end of political instability.”

In a post on X, the former federal minister said that hatred should not dominate decisions.

“Analyse your own mistakes. Hearts should be opened.”

“Three potential challenges are linked to the legitimacy of the elections through prolonged legal proceedings, protests and potential for violence,” said political analyst Amber Rahim Shamsi.

“In the short-term, any coalition birthed through a highly controversial election in a highly charged political environment will find it challenging to enact unpopular reforms that Pakistan desperately needs,” Shamsi told AFP.

“No government will have the luxury of time and political security after these elections,” said Shamsi.

“There are also fears that this political insecurity will continue until the next elections, which could be earlier than five years,” added Shamsi.

Former finance minister Atif Mian lamented Pakistan’s economic and political instability as election results have yet to materialise into a new government.

“Pakistan’s economy has consistently fallen behind globally — last year was one of the worse, with the economy actually contracting,” he said in a post on X.

He expressed worry over reduced investments from established firms, and a growing desire for Pakistanis to leave the country.

Acknowledging people’s anger, he noted that “every action to rig the elections was taken,” adding that “the distance between the ruler and the ruled has never been wider.”

He also noted that while close to half a million children in Pakistan are dying of poverty each year, the “establishment was busy playing its usual games.”

PTI in a post on X expressed its appreciation for Jamaat-i-Islaami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman for forfeiting his Sindh Assembly seat.

Earlier today while addressing a press conference in Karachi, Naeem had highlighted discrepancies in the vote counting.

“Therefore, I give up this seat,” Rehman said, adding that “independent candidate Saif Bari won in a genuine manner, whose votes were reduced to 11,000 from 31,000”.

It should be mentioned that Naeem had won from PS-129 (Karachi Central VIII) with 26,296 votes, according to the provisional results released by the ECP. PTI-backed independent candidate Saif Bari had gathered 11,357, according to the ECP’s Form 47.

“PTI highly appreciates this decision and expects similar honesty from other political candidates. There is no democracy without transparency,” PTI said.

“We don’t want a seat in charity. We want our right,” said Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at a press conference in Karachi where he forfeited his Sindh Assembly seat.

He said he knew that the heart of Karachi “beat with the JI”. Acknowledging that some may not consider his decision to be the right one, he said, “Even if they have erased us, they can’t erase us from people’s hearts. We will fight for the people, democratically, hold peaceful demonstrations.”

He further said that the nation “knew everything” due to social media and a “fake mandate” could not be imposed on the people.

He called for making the election results in Karachi null and void and for holding the exercise afresh. Calling on the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice, he asked, “Chief justice sahib, where do the people go?”

Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, while addressing a press conference, said that the party would challenge the results of the seats “it had won” but was handed a defeat after the Form 47 was released.

“Those we lost, we will not claim to have won those,” he said.

“Those who have won, even if they are our opponents, we will say let those who won win and let those who lost lose,” he said.

“What is this fraud being done with the nation? If you wanted to give handwritten results then what was the point of holding elections?” he asked.

Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has forfeited a Sindh Assembly seat over alleged rigging.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, an angry Naeem said that his team worked on tallying the Form 45. He said that his votes were allegedly decreased by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Form 47.

“Therefore, I give up this seat,” Rehman said, adding that “independent candidate Saif Bari won in a genuine manner, whose votes were reduced to 11,000 from 31,000”.

He further said that the votes for MQM were inflated from 6,000 to 20,000.

It should be mentioned that Naeem had won from PS-129 (Karachi Central VIII) with 26,296 votes, according to the provisional results released by the ECP. PTI-backed independent candidate Saif Bari had gathered 11,357, according to the ECP’s Form 47.

In a post on X, a spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the commission has established four counters in front of their office to facilitate those filing petitions against election results.

Each counter corresponds to one province and has been set up to offer support to individuals visiting the Election Secretariat for the submission of election petitions.

Pildat president Ahmed Bilal Mehboob has said that the PML-N, the PPP and the PTI have not only retained their vote bank from the 2018 elections but also achieved a gain in it.

Speaking to Geo News, he said that countrywide, the vote was split between the three major political parties, referring to the PML-N, the PPP, and the independent candidates fielded by the PTI.

Mehboob further highlighted that the Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam—Fazl was another major party to receive votes while in Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan had emerged as a key player.

Caretaker IT minister Dr Umar Saif has said that a “roadmap” has been made for the promotion of the digital economy for the next government, Radio Pakistan reports.

Addressing a meeting in Karachi, he said that the country can generate billions of dollars in revenue if the next government continues the initiatives taken by the caretaker government in the IT sector.

He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council has “proven to be a great support for the upcoming elected government in the process of developing the country”, the report added.

Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari has said that the Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the ECP’s decision to revoke the PTI’s electoral symbol was “never just about only denying a party symbol but it also meant denial of reserved women and minority seats”.

“Over the years we have added to the English language by redefining so many concepts, including [the] concept of ‘fair & free’ & ‘level playing field’!” she remarked in a post on X.

Even as the party’s top-tier leadership continues hectic efforts to form a government in the Centre, Punjab and Balochistan, there is a sense of shock among PML-N ranks over losses in Punjab — especially areas the party considered its strongholds.

Defeats for key leaders such as Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad, Khwaja Saad Rafique in Lahore and Mian Javed Latif in Sheikhupura, among others, have prompted calls for introspection before moving forward, both from the defeated candidates and others within party echelons who have woken up to the reality that their popularity has taken a hit.

“The Sharifs and the other senior leaders were shaken by the results in Punjab, but they are trying to put on a brave face as they focus on forming a coalition in Islamabad,” one party leader told Dawn on Sunday.

In conversations with Dawn, a couple of PML-N leaders said on Sunday that it was the leadership’s “miscalculation”, i.e. their failure to properly assess public sentiment, especially that of the youth, which cost the party dearly.

Another aspect of the party’s politics that apparently did not sit well with voters was the appearance of being pro-establishment.

Read more here.

As the PML-N and PPP have formally started consultations to form a government in the Centre with the help of their allies, the PPP is to convene a meeting of its central executive committee today in Islamabad to deliberate on the former’s proposals.

Insiders had told Dawn that the PML-N wanted to keep the slot of the prime minister, just like the PDM coalition government, and in return, it offered to the PPP the coveted slots of the president, National Assembly speaker, and the Senate chairman.

Separately, a meeting between Nawaz Sharif and PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujat was due in Lahore on Sunday evening. However, it was postponed for Monday (today) in Islamabad.

Read more here.

PTI leader Taimur Jhagra has demanded that the tallying of Form 45 “must be done in line with the Election Act” for his PK-79 constituency.

In a post on X, he said it was being suggested to him to cite his political rival Jalal Khan’s “alleged Afghan nationality” as an issue but asserted that it was “not the basis of my grievance”.

“It is very simple for me. I have obtained 25102 votes. He obtained 1619 votes. The second highest vote-getter JUI-F obtained 5188 votes,” he added.

PTI-backed candidate for PK-17 (Lower Dir) Ubaidur Rehman has been declared successful after a recount of votes by the returning officer of the constituency, the assistant commissioner of Samarbagh, Numan Pervez.

The RO in this regard issued fresh results, declaring Ubaidur Rehman of PTI as winner with 23,229 votes as compared to Jamaat-i-Islami candidate Izazul Mulk’s 19,990 votes. Earlier, the RO, according to his Form-47, had declared Izazul Mulk as the winner in PK-17 constituency with a total of 25,124 votes against 22,981 votes of Ubaidur Rehman.

Ubaidur Rehman had challenged the results and sought a probe into Form-45 and a recount of votes at 10 polling stations. The RO issued another notification in the shape of Form-49, showing Ubaidur Rehman as the winner and Izazul Mulk as the runner-up.

Jamaat-i-Islami, meanwhile, announced to end its protest sit-in outside Timergara rest house wherein the recounting was carried out.

Read more here.

PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood has said that another coalition government similar to the previous PML-N-led one is “in the scoffing led by Shehbaz Sharif”.

“N league is the Q party of current times. Kings’ choice but no public support,” he said in a post on X.

President Arif Alvi is duty-bound under the Constitution to summon a fresh session of the new National Assembly by Feb 29, as the National Assembly Secretariat (NAS) has made all arrangements to welcome the newly elected members.

According to Section 91(2) of the Constitution, the president must convene the National Assembly’s session after the official announcement of election results or issuance of its notification within 21 days.

“The National Assembly shall meet on the twenty-first day following the day on which a general election to the assembly is held, unless sooner summoned by the president,” the section says.

Read more here.

The concerns over PTI’s success in keeping intact its candidates who won as independents have materialised as one of the winners joined PML-N.

The wheeling and dealing has intensified as PML-N, and PPP, are making hectic efforts to woo independent members-elect to improve their tally of total National and provincial assembly seats.

So far, six independent MNAs-elect, including PTI-backed Waseem Qadir from NA-121 (Lahore-V), have joined PML-N.

“I have returned to my home,” Qadir was quoted as saying.

Likewise, Raja Khurram Nawaz from NA-48, Barrister Aqeel from NA-54, Pir Zahoor Hussain Qureshi from NA-146, Sardar Shamsher Mazari from NA-189, and Barrister Mian Khan Bugti from NA-253 have also joined PML-N.

Read more here.

In at least 24 National Assembly constituencies, the number of rejected ballots was found to be greater than the margin of victory, an analysis of provisional results reveals.

Twenty-two of these constituencies fall in Punjab, with one each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

PML-N won the electoral race in 13 of these constituencies, five were claimed by PPP, four by the PTI-backed independents and two by other independents.

Around two million ballot papers have been excluded from the count from the 265 National Assembly constituencies.

Read more here.

PTI-backed independent candidate Naeem Haider Panjutha has said he has filed a petition in the Election Commission of Pakistan against alleged rigging in his constituency PP-71.

PTI leader Musarrat Cheema has said that she is a part of the PTI and will remain.

In a post on X, she said, “I am in the PTI and will remain, God-willing. But whoever caused damage to the party will be dealt with.”

After a poor showing in the Feb 8 polls, the PML-N, which has about 75 seats in the National Assembly, has pitched the idea of a “participatory coalition government”, saying not a single political party had secured the mandate to form a government in the Centre.

Former law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar termed this scenario ‘Hobson’s choice’ and said not a single political party had secured a majority in the National Assembly, insisting that elections were “fair”.

The PML-N leader was talking to the media after a meeting of the party’s top brass at Jati Umra in which consultations were held regarding the future course of action. The ex-minister said the PML-N had started consultations with its former allies to form a government in the Centre.

“There’s only the possibility of forming the [federal] government with the backing of the PML-N. It will be a participatory coalition government,” he said, adding that it was in “the largest interest of the country that all should join hands” to form the federal government.

Read more here.

PTI Senior Vice President Latif Khosa has claimed that 50 PTI-backed independent candidates are winning on Form 45s with a margin of thousands of votes.

Talking to ARY News, Khosa said: “We have clear official stamps, signatures of presiding and polling officers as well.”

He said the PTI would get back these 50 seats, saying that adding them up with the reserved seats for women and minorities would take the party’s number to around 170 seats.

“When we reach this count, we can form the government ourselves,” Khosa asserted. He said the party would happily sit in the opposition instead of forming a coalition government at the “behest of others”.

PTI Senior Vice President Latif Khosa has said that independent candidates elected on party founder Imran Khan’s vote are liable to abide by the PTI’s code of conduct.

Speaking to ARY News today, the former Punjab governor said: “They are not independents in the sense that they can do anything they want. They have taken Imran Khan’s vote.”

He made it clear that PTI as a party has not been banned and it exists according to the law and Constitution. Khosa said only the party’s symbol was taken away.

“Let things move forward and we will raise concerns over it,” he added. “They will face party backlash and you can’t even understand the public backlash they will receive.”

PTI leader Hammad Azhar has called on the party’s supporters to remain peaceful.

“Everyone listen to this carefully. Do not get angry in any scenario. Have to remain peaceful. Do not fall into the trap of an anarchist,” he said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced a recount in 39 polling stations of Hub’s PB-21 constituency in Balochistan.

In an order available with Dawn.com, the electoral watchdog said recounting of votes will take place in No. 1-25 polling stations in Tehsil Doraji and No. 48, 49, 50, 51, 57, 58, 61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 68, 81 and 82 of Tehsil Hub.

The statement added that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had received an application from contesting candidate Ali Hassan Zehri in this regard which was later accepted.

“The Returning Officer is directed to issue notices to the contesting candidates of the time, date, and venue of the recounting,” the ECP order said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suspended the consolidation of the results for Mansehra’s NA-15 constituency following a petition by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif against the returning officer (RO).

An order issued by the ECP said that Nawaz’s counsel had argued that the Form 47 for the seat was prepared without the Form 45 of “approximately more than 125 polling stations”. The counsel had argued that the Form 45s were not provided to Nawaz as well.

The ECP order directed that a notice be issued to the RO to submit a comprehensive report on the matter within three day. It added that a notice also be issued to the PTI-backed winning candidate Shehzad Muhammad Gushtasib and the result consolidation be suspended till the case’s final outcome.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suspended the consolidation of the result for Islamabad’s NA-48 constituency. The electoral watchdog has directed the returning officer to submit a comprehensive report on a petition filed by PTI-backed candidate Syed Muhammad Ali Bokhari.

In his petition to the ECP, Bokhari said he obtained 59,851 votes while his opponent, Raja Khurram Shehzad Nawaz, garnered 69,699 votes.

However, Bokhari said that the Form 45 issued by presiding officers, he secured 74,425 votes from 257 polling stations while Nawaz obtained 30,345 votes. He urged the ECP to order a recount in the constituency.

“The process of consolidation shall remain suspended till the outcome of the case, if not already concluded,” the ECP said in its order.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has suspended the consolidation of the results for Islamabad’s NA-47 constituency following a petition by PTI-backed independent candidate Shoaib Shaheen against the returning officer (RO) and the district RO.

An order issued by the ECP said that Shaheen had argued that the Form 47 for the seat was not in accordance with the Form 45, since the former showed PML-N’s Tariq Fazal in the lead while the latter showed Shaheen in the lead.

The ECP issued a notice to the RO for a comprehensive report on the matter within three days. It also issued a notice to Fazal and suspended the consolidation of the result.

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has said the government has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility by holding free, fair and transparent elections in a peaceful manner, APP reports.

Speaking during a TV talk show on private media, the minister said the caretaker government had extended “all-out facilitation” to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding the polls.

The results of the elections were a testament to the transparency of the polls, he added.

MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar has said that Karachi has “woken up” after the party secured a significant number of seats from the provincial capital of Sindh in the Feb 8 general elections.

Addressing a public gathering in Karachi, Sattar commended party workers for persuading the public to vote for MQM-P.

He emphasised that the party’s primary challenge now is to serve the masses, which he said the MQM-P is “fully prepared to undertake”.

As per the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), MQM-P has currently won 17 seats in the National Assembly and 28 seats in the Sindh Assembly in the Feb 8 election results.

The PPP and PML-N have agreed “in principle to save the country from political instability”.

A press release from the PML-N on a meeting between senior leadership of the two in Lahore’s Bilawal House said they agreed in principle on political cooperation.

“In the meeting, the overall situation of the country and the political cooperation in the future were discussed in detail

“The leaders agreed to cooperate politically to bring the country to political stability,” the press release said.

The PPP and PML-N leadership have had their “first official contact” for the purposes of government formation at Lahore’s Bilawal House.

A press release from the PPP said PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to seek the latter’s help in forming the next government.

PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and other senior PML-N leaders were also part of the meeting.

The PPP leadership said it would discuss the PML-N’s proposal regarding cooperation in government formation in the former’s Central Executive Committee meeting on Monday.

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.