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Pakistan: Imran Khan Claims Victory ahead of Official Results

Pakistan: Imran Khan Claims Victory ahead of Official Results
folder_openPakistan access_time5 years ago
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Local Editor

Pakistan on Friday awaited the delayed results of pivotal elections that have already seen a jubilant Imran Khan claim victory, despite allegations of massive vote-rigging in favor of the cricket hero-turned-politician.

Election officials are under fire for the lack of a result two days after ballots closed, an unprecedented delay that observers say has undermined the legitimacy of the exercise.

The vote is a rare democratic transition in the nuclear-armed Muslim country, which has been ruled by the powerful army for roughly half its history, but has already been marred by violence and allegations of military interference.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has dismissed allegations of manipulation -- blaming the delay on glitches in new, untested counting software - and said there would be a result by Friday.

International observers, including a European Union delegation, are due to give their preliminary assessments of the vote Friday, after rival parties, including the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N], alleged "blatant" rigging.

The Election Commission says that with more than 80 percent of the vote counted, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf [PTI] party enjoys a strong lead with 109 seats so far.

However, it is not certain it will achieve the 137 seats needed in the National Assembly to form a majority government, and may be forced into a coalition.

That did not stop the 65-year-old former cricket star from claiming victory in a wide-ranging address to the nation Thursday.

"We were successful and we were given a mandate," he said from his home in the capital Islamabad, adding in a conciliatory note that there would be "no political victimization" of his opponents in the future.

The delay in the results, an unofficial version of which had been expected late Wednesday, has forced election authorities to hold multiple press conferences to defend themselves.

"The election was conducted in a fair and free manner," said Secretary Babar Yaqoob on Thursday.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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