ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as the largest party with seventy three seats in the National Assembly elections.
According to the unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan for 255 out of 265 seats, PPP has bagged fifty four seats followed by MQM 17 seats, Pakistan Muslim League and JUI (P) three seats each and two seats by Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party. One seat each was won by Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan, Balochistan National Party and PML-Z. Independents have secured 100 seats.
According to the fresh update, the ECP has announced to hold re-polling in multiple polling stations on February 15. The vote outcomes of the polling stations will be announced after the completion of the re-polling event.
The re-polling will be carried out at NA-88 Khushab-II (Punjab), re-polling will be organised in 26 polling stations after a crowd of outrageous people torched voting material. The commission will hold re-polling at PS-18 Ghotki-I (Sindh) and PK-90 Kohat-I (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
The electoral watchdog had received complaints from parts of the country regarding snatching and damaging of voting material in some polling stations so the polling process was postponed. The commission also directed the regional election commissioner to submit a probe report in 3 days after receiving the complaints of vandalism at a polling station in NA-242 Karachi Keamari(Sindh).
Though the winning party always makes efforts to form a government if not secure a comfortable majority. With the support of allies, the major political parties form the government in the centre and provinces. The Independent backed by PTI are in large numbers but they are constitutionally not in a position to get reserved seats, so the other major political parties PML-N, PPP, MQM-P and JUI-F are active to form the government in centre and other provinces, insiders in political parties shared.
Talking to The Nation, MWM Nasir Sherazi said that his party is in contact with PTI to form a government in the centre. “We have an unconditional offer for PTI to merge their independent candidates with us to get reserved seats,” he said.
Political observers said that PML-N, PPP, MQM-P and JUI-F have nearly 147 seats in centre so their chances are even bright to form the government in centre. The results of remaining 09 seats will not make much difference, they commented.
It may also be noted here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) affiliated independent candidate and lawyer Shoaib Shaheen moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on challenging the results of the NA-47 Islamabad-II constituency.
Shaheen was defeated by PML-N candidate Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who got the constituency by bagging 102,502 votes. PTI’s backed member remained a runner-up as he received 86,396 votes. Sources said that other PTI’s backed independent members will also challenge the results soon. In the Sindh Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party has emerged as the largest party with 84 seats, followed by MQM-Pakistan twenty-eight, Grand Democratic Alliance and Jamaat-e-Islami two each. Independents won fourteen seats in the provincial assembly.
In Punjab Assembly, the PML-N has secured one hundred and thirty seven seats, PPP ten, Pakistan Muslim League eight, Istehkam e Pakistan Party, PML-Z and TLP one each while one hundred and thirty seven independents also remained successful. Result of one seat is still awaited.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly election, out of 112 seats, ninety independents emerged victorious. JUI (P) bagged seven, PML-N five, PPP four, Jamaat-e-Islami three, PTI Parliamentarians two and Awami National Party one. One result has been withheld. In Balochistan Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians lead the tally with eleven seats, followed by PML-N and JUI (P) with nine seats each. Balochistan Awami Party secured four, National Party three and Awami National Party two seats. Independents also remained successful on six seats. Balochistan National Party, Balochistan National Party (Awami) and Haq Do Tehreek Balochistan each secured one seat.