Live: Elections 2024

PTI Central Secretary Information Raoof Hasan has claimed that his party is leading on at least 125 National Assembly seats “by huge margins”.

“In due course of time, we shall be in a position to form governments at the centre and at least two of the four provinces,” he said in a video message posted on party’s X account.

He thanked people for reposing their confidence “in their leadership of Imran Khan”.

PTI lawyer Abuzar Salman Niazi has said that the returning officer (RO) of the NA-128 constituency has issued an order to kick out candidates and election agents from his office.

In a post on X, he posted the alleged order issued by the RO.

UN Secretary General Antonio has urged political leaders and society segments to maintain a “calm atmosphere” as the results of the elections are being tabulated.

“I continue to follow the situation in Pakistan closely, including the general elections that took place today,” the UN chief said in a statement e-mailed to APP.

“I am also concerned about reports of incidents of violence and casualties, and the suspension of mobile communications services,” he said.

“As Pakistan awaits the results of the elections, I encourage all political leaders and society segments to maintain a calm atmosphere, as well as refrain from the use of violence and any actions that could increase tensions.

“It is important that all candidates and supporters ensure that human rights and the rule of law are fully respected in the interest of the Pakistani people and resolve any disputes that might arise through established legal procedures. “

Section 84 of the Election Rules, 2017 outlines the procedure for the announcement of provisional results.

The announcement of the results is still being awaited hours after polling ended at 5pm on Friday for the general elections 2024.

The section is reproduced below:

• (1) The returning officer (RO) shall prepare the provisional consolidated statement of results of the count (excluding postal ballots) of the constituency, as required under section 92, in Form-47 on the basis of the results of the count received by him from presiding officers (PO) electronically under sub-section (2) of section 13 or personally whichever is earlier.
• (2) The RO shall make sure that result of the count furnished by PO is arithmetically error-free before accepting the same.
• (3) In case, the RO finds any error in the form, he shall ask the PO to rectify the error and sign the same in token of the fact that the error has been corrected by the PO himself:
• Provided that in the event of correction of form under this subrule, the PO shall resend electronically the scanned copy of the corrected form to the commission:
• Provided further that the RO shall keep copy of the said corrected Form and also place the same in the relevant packet.
• (4) After preparing the provisional consolidated statement of results of the count under sub-rule (1), the RO shall announce the same in the presence of such of the candidates, their election agents or authorised observers as may be present and shall affix a copy of such results at a conspicuous place in his office for information of general public:
• Provided that the RO shall forthwith communicate the scanned copy of the Form-47 containing provisional results to the commission electronically on or before 2am the day immediately following the polling day and if, for any reason, the results are incomplete by 2am on the day immediately following the polling day, the RO shall communicate to the commission provisional results as consolidated till that time along with reasons for the delay, in writing, while listing the polling stations from which results are awaited and thereafter shall send the complete provisional results as soon as compiled but not later than 10am
• Provided that where the RO forward a case against the defaulting presiding officer(s) that delivery of result has been inordinately delayed, the commission shall initiate disciplinary proceedings under Section 54 and 55 of the Act and remunerations due to presiding officer(s) shall be withheld and in case it is already paid shall be recoverable from his salary.

PPP leader Murad Ali Shah has claimed the party’s lead over 10 National Assembly seats in Karachi.

Talking to Geo News, the former Sindh chief minister took digs at the Muttahida Qaumi movement-Pakistan.

The PTI has said its supporters have “shocked and worried the entire system with the historic turnout” during the general elections 2024.

It has alleged that election results are now being withheld “fearing the historic victory” of the party.

Cellular services have been restored in parts of Karachi after being suspended during the day for voting during the general elections.

A Dawn staffer corroborated that 3G and 4G services were also restored partially.

The PTI has said “unprecedented voter turnout” has stunned the entire system and alleged that attempts were being made to “alter” the poll results.

In a post on X, the party appealed to the voters to head to their respective polling stations in order to prevent the alleged manipulation of election results.

Hammad Azhar has claimed that PTI-affiliated candidates are in the lead according to data from the Election Commission of Pakistan.

“God willing the next government will be led by PTI and Imran Khan will be the prime minister,” Azhar said in a post on X.

The former federal minister thanked all the voters for coming out of their homes to exercise their rights.

“The clouds of oppression will end now,” he added.

MQM-P senior deputy convener Mustafa Kamal has said that the responsibility of Karachi, Hyderabad and other urban areas of Sindh has now been given to the party.

Addressing the media in Karachi, he said: “A very big responsibility the people of Sindh’s urban areas have again given to the MQM-P. This is not a worrying matter. We don’t have the option to fail in serving the people.”

He said that as per reports, even “non-traditional” areas and “no-go areas” for the MQM-P had given votes to the party.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has claimed that as per reports the party is receiving, the party is leading in up to 18 to 19 National Assembly seats of Karachi.

Addressing the media in Karachi, he said: “Apart from two to three seats in the city’s outskirts, on almost all 18 seats and up to 19 according to another report, the MQM is leading and is on its way to breaking its own record.”

Rai Hassan Nawaz, running as an independent candidate affiliated with the PTI, is leading in the vote count for NA-143 (Sahiwal-III) with 73,489 votes, according to unofficial results.

The runner-up right now is independent candidate Chaudhry Tufail Jutt with 65,438 votes. He is 8,051 votes behind Nawaz, according to Geo News, Dawn News and PTV.

According to Geo News, PTV and Dawn News, at least 51 per cent of the polling stations completed their count around midnight.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has pointed out how electoral “results are incredibly slow coming in”.

However, he said the initial results were “very encouraging” with “PPP candidates and independents” performing well.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said that troops stationed outside polling stations are there to provide security till the conclusion of the vote-counting process and have nothing to do with the election process.

In a press release, the ISPR said: “Only the election staff are continuing the vote counting process inside the polling offices.”

It added that the public was expected to fully cooperate with the armed forces till the completion of the process.

PPP leader Saeed Ghani has claimed that voters were not being allowed to enter the office of the returning officer in Karachi East. In a video message, he urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to take immediate notice.

Posts circulating on social media platform X have claimed that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is departing for London on the night of February 8.

However, no flight is scheduled for London from Lahore.

The iVerify Pakistan platform checked the Flight Radar 24 online tracker to see the flights operating on the night of Feb 8 from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport to London but did not find any.

This fact check has been published in partnership with iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ and UNDP.

As voters headed to the polls, the influence of Pakistan’s powerful military and the turbulent state of the country’s politics were on full display.

Few doubted which party would come out on top, a reflection of the generals’ hold on Pakistan’s troubled democracy.

But the military is facing new challenges to its authority from a discontented public, making this an especially fraught moment in the nation’s history.

The tension was underlined as Pakistan’s Interior Ministry announced that it had suspended mobile phone service across the country because of the security situation.

Some analysts in Pakistan cast it as an effort to keep opposition voters from getting information or coordinating activities.

Read more here

After five hours of vote counting, an intriguing battle is unfolding in several constituencies: Yasmeen Rashid versus Nawaz Sharif in NA-130, Afzal Hafeez Pahat against Shehbaz Sharif in NA-123, and Rehana Imtiaz Dar against Khawaja Muhammad Asif in NA-71.

As per unofficial and unconfirmed results from specific polling stations until 10:30pm, the following outcomes have been reported:

• NA-123: Shehbaz Sharif leads with 16,154 votes, while Afzal Azeem Pahat trails behind with 15,893 votes.
• NA-248: PTI-backed independent candidate Arsalan Khalid is ahead with 1849 votes, followed by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui with 241 votes.
• NA-67: Aniqa Mehdi, backed by PTI, holds the lead with 23,008 votes, while Saira Afzal Tarar of PML-N trails with 19,391 votes.
• NA-119: Maryam Nawaz is currently leading with 869 votes, with Shehzad Farooq trailing behind with 438 votes
• NA-19: Asad Qaisar is ahead with 16,167 votes, followed by JUI-F’s Maulana Fazl Ali Sharif with 8,824 votes
• NA-71: Khawaja Asif is ahead with 8,773 votes, followed by Rehana Imtiaz Dar with 8,524 votes.

PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s daughter Meher Bano Qureshi, running as an independent candidate, is leading in the vote count for NA-151 (Multan) with 26,236 votes, according to unofficial results.

The runner-up right now is PML-N’s Abdul Ghaffar with 18,558 votes. He is 7,678 votes behind Meher Bano, PTV reports.

According to Geo News, PTV and Dawn News, at least 61 per cent of the polling stations completed their count at around 10:45pm.