Pakistan election: Rival parties each claim advantage as count continues

1. Votes are being counted after yesterday's general election which was marred by the suspension of mobile phone services and violent unrest
2. Currently independents linked to ex-prime minister Imran Khan hold the highest number of seats
3. But three-time former leader Nawaz Sharif has claimed his party, the PML-N, is the largest
4. Neither group appears to be on course to win a clear majority
5. Experts had agreed Sharif was the clear favourite for the top job with imprisoned ex-PM Imran Khan barred from standing after being ousted from power
6. Many analysts say this is among Pakistan's least credible elections and results have been slow to come out compared to previous votes

That's it from us, but the count continues

Nadia Ragozhina

Live reporter

Thanks for staying with us as we brought you live coverage of the parliamentary election in Pakistan.

As we've been reporting, the count continues, and you can catch up on the story here.

This page was edited by me, Joel Guinto, Ayeshea Perera, Flora Drury and Tiffany Wertheimer. It was written by Nicholas Yong, Kelly Ng, Frances Mao, Tarik Habte, Anna Boyd, Thomas Mackintosh, Victoria Lindrea, Emily Atkinson and Malu Cursino.

Let's bring you up to date before we close our coverage

Getty Images

People celebrate a speech by former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, at the party office of PML-N in Lahore

We are shortly going to be bringing our coverage of Pakistan's national election to a close, but before we do let's quickly recap the key moments.

• Most results have now been counted in Pakistan's parliamentary elections - 19 constituencies are left to declare
• Results of yesterday's vote began trickling in after a delay of nearly 10 hours which the Election Committee of Pakistan (ECP) blamed on the suspension of phone and internet services
• Independent candidates linked to the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan have emerged as the single biggest group

• Khan claimed victory in an AI-generated message shared by his PTI party and urged his supporters to celebrate

• Hours earlier Khan's rival, Nawaz Sharif, declared himself the winner and called on his supporters to celebrate
• Sharif, who had been the overwhelming favourite and is believed to be supported by Pakistan's military, called on other parties to join his government
• There's mounting international concern - including from UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron - about the probity of the vote

Hussain Ali/Anadolu via Getty Images

Supporters of the convicted former prime minister Imran Khan's PTI party protest as they allege irregularities in the election

US reaction to election results, troubled by reports of interference

We are getting more reaction to Pakistan election results from the US.

Representative Ilhan Omar says on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she is "deeply troubled by reports of interference" in the election, saying that the Pakistani people "deserve nothing less than a transparent democratic process".

Omar calls on the State Department to "refrain from recognizing the results until credible, independent investigations have been conducted into the numerous allegations of misconduct".

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin calls for a "full investigation of any claims of election interference or fraud in Pakistan".

She adds: "The people of Pakistan deserve a free and fair opportunity to make their voices heard through the democratic process."

Representative Susan Wild also echoes the US State Department call for a "full investigation of election interference and fraud in Pakistan".

Why is this election important?

Farhat Javet and Flora Drury

in Islamabad and London

Reuters

Pakistan is an arch-rival to India, shares volatile borders with Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, has a love-hate relationship with the USA and is a close friend of China - whoever comes to power in this nuclear-armed state matters.

For the last few years, the country's politicians have been busy wrangling over who gets that power. They ousted Imran Khan, the last elected prime minister, in 2022 and replaced his administration with a coalition government.

That coalition was replaced by an unelected caretaker government last August, which should have held elections by November. After delays officials said were caused by the census, the vote finally went ahead.

What many think is needed now is stable government - not only to deal with things like the recent tit-for-tat missile strikes with Iran, which many feared might boil over into something worse, but also to continue to secure the financial aid and investment the government is so reliant on.

• Read more here.

Why did Imran Khan end up hailing victory from jail?

Victoria Lindrea

Live reporter

Hailing your party's victory via an AI-generated message is an unusual way of celebrating election success.

But that's what Imran Khan has been forced to do, given the former prime minster is currently behind bars.

How did we end up here?

The former premier and international cricket star has been detained since last August when he was arrested, serving time mostly at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

He and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted of illegally profiting from state gifts - just a week before the parliamentary election in which he was barred from standing.

It came days after Khan was sentenced to 10 years - for leaking classified state documents

Last month's sentencing further banned the former PTI leader from future political work: he will be disqualified for 10 years from holding public office.

Khan has said the numerous cases against him are politically motivated - with the military bent on denying him political power, he claims.

His political rival, three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif - who was himself jailed for corruption in 2018 - and was long seen as a thorn in the side of the powerful military, is now widely viewed as the preferred candidate by Pakistan's military establishment.

While Khan, who used to be seen as close to the military, has fallen out of favour and reduced to rallying his supporters, now independents, from behind bars.

Who is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?

EPA

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Behind Imran Khan-backed independents and the PML-N of Nawaz Sharif, the party with the third most number of seats won is the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of Bilawal Bhutton Zardari.

The PPP currently has 52 seats, and the name of the leader will be recognised by many - both in Pakistan and abroad.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was barely an adult when he inherited a role in a dynasty whose history is steeped in power and bloodshed.

The son of Pakistan’s former president Asif Ali Zardari and murdered ex-PM Benazir Bhutto, he spent much of his school years outside Pakistan. He travelled with his mother - who went into self-imposed exile in 1999 - moving between London, Dubai and later studying in Oxford.

He took over as chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party three days after his mother was assassinated in December 2007. He was only 19.

Bhutto Zardari, now 35, served as foreign minister during the coalition government which followed Imran Khan's ousting. He came in third in the last election.

For this year’s poll, his party has produced a manifesto comprising a series of expensive pledges, such as doubling people’s wages. It is unlikely the party will win the chance to enact these policies, but some political pundits have suggested the PPP could well end up a kingmaker in a governing alliance.

Slow-paced results undermine confidence in poll management - expert

Let's bring you some more reaction, this time from Asma Faiz who is an associate professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

She believes the extremely slow pace of release of election results does not increase confidence in Pakistan’s management of the electoral system.

"More than 24 hours after the polls closed, full results have still not been announced," she tells us.

"The PTI leaders have raised specific complaints. For instance, in some cases, the PTI candidates were not given access to the counting process.

"There have also been complaints of high number of rejected votes in certain cases raising complaints of foul play from the PTI."

Still 22 constituencies to go as Khan and Sharif both claim victory

We are still waiting for the final 22 areas to count their votes and the final result to be announced.

At the moment independent candidates are leading with 98 seats and Nawaz Sharif's party, the PML-N have 69.

As we've been reporting, imprisoned Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan has claimed victory in the general election.

Earlier on Friday, Nawaz Sharif, also claimed victory and urged independent candidates to join him.

PTI candidates were barred from running under Khan’s PTI cricket bat symbol, but many ran as independents and most - but not all - are linked to the former PM. They have emerged as the single biggest group.

Stay with us as we continue our coverage waiting for the final areas to conclude the counts.

Khan congratulates supporters for 'winning election'

Humaira Kanwal

BBC Urdu

We are getting a few more lines from former Prime Minister Imran Khan's message that has been released on social media.

In his message, Imran Khan, imprisoned in Adiala Jail for corruption, can be heard congratulating his supporters for "winning the election" and "laying the foundation of true freedom by voting".

He adds that the plan to put rival PML-N in power failed because of the votes of his supporters.

He also criticises former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and says that he gave a victory speech "despite being 30 seats behind".

Imran Khan says that 'before rigging started, independent candidates backed by his PTI party were winning "on 150 seats in the National Assembly".

He adds that at present they "are winning in 170 seats of the National Assembly".

It should be noted that the Election Commission has not yet announced the final results and the votes are still being counted.

Independent candidates supported by PTI have an edge.

The PTI has not yet provided any formal evidence of these allegations of rigging. Imran Khan also instructed his party and workers to "protect the vote".

The party have also said that Imran Khan's message was prepared with the help of AI while using his words.

BreakingImran Khan claims victory in AI-generated message

Pakistan's imprisoned former PM Imran Khan has claimed a "landslide victory" in the general election, according to an AI-generated message shared by his PTI party and reported by Reuters.

Khan says independent candidates backed by him have won the most seats and he calls on his supporters to celebrate.

What's been happening in Pakistan's vote count?

Usman Zahid

BBC News, in Lahore

Hello and welcome if you are just joining us. As we've been reporting, independent candidates backed by Imran Khan's PTI have won more seats than Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party with some seats still left to be announced.

Nawaz Sharif's claim earlier on Friday that his party emerged as the largest party is technically correct, as Imran Khan supported candidates contested elections without any party platform - they are independents.

That's because the Pakistan Elections Commission barred Imran Khan's party, PTI, from contesting the election, because they found their internal party elections didn't follow the rules.

His candidates were left with no choice but to contest as independents. Neither independents nor Sharif's PML-N have enough seats to form a government solo and would need a coalition.

That's why we heard Sharif inviting other parties to join him.

If the independent candidates join another existing party or if PTI has its party status restored by the election commission, they could then claim to be the largest winning party.

Again we are waiting for the final results.

'Time to allow democracy to flourish' - PTI spokesman

We're now hearing a bit more from PTI spokesman Raoof Hasan, who says "now is the time to allow democracy to flourish".

As independent candidates backed by the PTI party take the lead, Hasan says "whichever political party gets the votes has the right to govern, and that right is given without any interference".

"To stop this interference we will do whatever the laws and regulations give us," he adds.

Addressing a press conference regarding the results of general elections earlier today, Hasan said "power-wielders must learn to respect people's choice" while warning any effort to "derail the decision" would have "deadly consequences".

In pictures: Celebrations, dancing and cheers in Lahore

As we have been reporting, independent candidates linked to the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan have emerged as the single biggest group.

But his rival, Nawaz Sharif, has already declared himself the winner - although he acknowledged his party has not yet won enough seats to form a government on its own.

Sharif is widely seen as favoured by Pakistan's powerful military.

A spokesman for Khan's PTI party said now was the time to "allow democracy to flourish".

Let's have a look at some of the latest images reaching us from Lahore.

Reuters

Supporters of Nawaz Sharif - leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) - react as they listen to him speak in Lahore earlier

EPA

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) started releasing the results of the recent general elections earlier today after a 12-hour delay

Getty Images

The elections have direct implications for Pakistan's global credibility, making it a focal point of international attention and concern as tensions remain high both within the country and in the region

How many National Assembly seats does each region hold?

While we wait for the remaining seats to be declared, here's a breakdown of the seats in the National Assembly.

The boundaries of many constituencies were redrawn in 2023, following a national census.

There are now 266 seats in the National Assembly that are directly elected. Another 60 are reserved for women and a further 10 for religious minorities.

A party needs 133 seats for a simple majority.

Here's how the seats are broken down:

• Punjab: 141
• Sindh: 61
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 45
• Balochistan: 16
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 3

UK: Fairness and inclusivity concerns in Pakistan elections

EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

We are also getting some reaction from the UK.

"The UK urges authorities in Pakistan to uphold fundamental human rights including free access to information, and the rule of law," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron says.

In a statement, Cameron reiterates strong links between Pakistan and the UK, with a large Pakistani diaspora living overseas. But he acknowledged that the UK is aware of "serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections".

He voices the British government's "regret that not all parties were formally permitted to contest the elections".

Cameron says the new government "must be accountable to the people it serves, and work to represent the interests of all Pakistan's citizens and communities with equity and justice".

"We look forward to working with Pakistan's next government to achieve this," the foreign secretary adds.

Pakistan elections included 'undue restrictions on freedoms' - US State Department

We're now hearing a bit more from the US State Department, as spokesman Matthew Miller says the US joins "credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly".

In a statement, the spokesman says the US condemns electoral violence and "restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms".

Miller cites "attacks on media workers" and "restrictions on access to the internet and telecommunication services", as reasons for the US concern about "allegations of interference in the electoral process".

"Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated," Miller adds.

On Thursday, an interior ministry spokesman in Pakistan justified the blackouts by saying that, given recent terrorism incidents in the country, "security measures are essential to maintain law and order situation and to deal with potential deaths".

Reuters

Voters told the BBC on Thursday that the internet blackout meant it was not possible to book taxis to go and vote, while others said they couldn't chat to other family members to co-ordinate when to head to polling stations.

PTI to discuss election results with imprisoned Khan

Imran Khan's PTI party have said they will consult with senior leadership on the election results and meet with ex-PM Imran Khan, who has been jailed for corruption, on Saturday.

The PTI have said on their social media accounts that seats won by Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party were "stolen and rigged".

Khan, who founded the PTI party, was ousted as Pakistan's prime minister by his opponents in 2022 and is serving a three-year jail term for corruption.

He previously said the numerous cases against him were politically motivated.

Reuters

Independent candidate Malik Amir Dogar, backed by former prime minister Imran Khan's PTI party, celebrates as he claims victory in his constituency in Multan, Pakistan

US says it looks forward to 'timely, complete election results'

We're now hearing some reaction from the US State Department, who says America is looking forward to "timely, complete election results".

Quoted by Reuters news agency, the US says it is prepared to work with the next Pakistani government "regardless of political party, to advance our shared interests".

Political horse-trading begins as Sharif claims victory

Samira Hussain

Reporting from Islamabad

An eruption of cheers and fireworks as Nawaz Sharif stepped on to a balcony to address supporters who had gathered in Lahore to hear from the former prime minister.

In a moment of political posturing, Sharif declared victory.

While technically true that the PMLN is the largest party to have won the election, the reality is he needs the support of other parties and independents to be able to form a government and call himself prime minister once again.

Although there are still seats left to be announced, independent candidates backed by Imran Khan’s PTI party are the majority and therefore wield more political influence.

So now the political horse-trading begins in earnest. Which means it could still be a while before anyone is able to claim outright victory.

PTI says Sharif speaking 'shamelessly' and that seats 'stolen'

Imran Khan's PTI party have responded to Nawaz Sharif's claim that his PML-N party have won the largest number of seats in the general election.

PTI say he is speaking "shamelessly and brazenly".

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the PTI's official account says the seats shown to have been won by the PML-N were "stolen and rigged".

The posts adds that Sharif was "brazenly trying to steal the election" and that it would not be tolerated.