ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday surprised most pundits by scoring a thumping victory, mainly in Punjab, and is set to form the next federal government. Imran Khan’s PTI also impressed with an impressive performance coming close to becoming the second largest party in the country.
While all the results were still to come in, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) appeared locked in a neck-to-neck battle with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for second position in the next parliament.
Mian Nawaz Sharif, in his victory speech, promised a clean and efficient government after his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif declared that his brother would become the country’s prime minister for the third time.
According to unofficial results so far, PML-N President Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif won from Sargodha while he was in a comfortable position in his hometown Lahore. Similarly, Imran Khan of the PTI posted a thumping victory in Peshawar and his native town of Mianwali but the situation did not look so good for him in the NA constituencies of Lahore and Rawalpindi.
President Asif Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur, PTI’s Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Ch Pervaiz Elahi, Mehmood Khan Achakzai of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, PTI-backed Sh Rashid Ahmad and former NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza are also among those who returned to the National Assembly as per the unofficial results.
In different incidents of violence in Peshawar, Karachi and Balochistan’s various areas, at least 18 persons were killed and over 50 injured. However, overall security situation was better than being widely speculated on the election day.
PML-N leadership, within five hours after the polling ended, has dropped hints of sitting together with all those in the arena to form a coalition government, including PTI of Imran Khan to deal with the deep-rooted gigantic problems, Pakistan faces today.
The polls saw the PPP being washed away from central Punjab by the PML-N and PTI sweeping Peshawar and even not sparing veteran Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.In view of a very encouraging turn-out, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) extended the time of polling from 5:00pm to 6:00pm while polling time was extended for three hours. The Commission hinted at a significant surge in turn-out in the 2013 elections.
Jamaat-e-Islami, Sunni Tehrik, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen boycotted the elections in Karachi, citing massive rigging while Jamhoori Watan Party also boycotted the elections due to similar reasons. There are hints that polling could be held again on four to five NA seats in Karachi.
Like in 2008 elections, again Maulana Fazlur Rehman finds himself in a comfortable position to strike a deal with the major stakeholders on formation of a coalition government not only in the Centre but also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In view of voter trends, the PML-N is all set to form government in Punjab while the PTI can be in a position to lead a coalition set-up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan is in again for a split mandate among different parties, mainly JUI-Fazl, BNP-Mengal and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.
Though, the Election Commission is yet to announce official results, charged activists of PML-N, PTI and PPP have started celebrations in various cities and towns.
APP adds: According to unofficial results following candidates are leading in their constituencies: NA-1 Peshawar-I, Imran Khan defeated ANP’s Ghulam Ahmad Bilour; NA-2 Peshawar-II, PTI’s Hamidul Haq is defeating Arbab Najeeb of the ANP; NA-9, PTI’s Nasir Khan Advocate is leading against ANP’s Haider Khan Hoti; NA-12, independent candidate Usman Khan Tarakai is leading against ANP’s Rehmanullah; NA-24, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is defeating PPP’s Waqar Ahmed; NA-25 Tank, Maulana Fazl is leading against PTI’s Engineer Dawar Kundi. NA-26, Akram Khan Durrani of the JUI-F is leading; NA-29 Swat-I, PTI’s Murad Saeed deafeated PML-N’s Syed Muhamad Ali Shah Bachalala; NA-34, JI candidate Sahibzada Yaqub is defeating Bashir Khan Advocate of the PTI; NA-35, PTI’s Junaid Akbar is leading against JUI-F’s Maulana Saeed; NA-37 Kurram Agency-II, Independent Sajid Tori is leading; NA-55, Rawalpindi, Awami National Party chief Sheikh Rashid defeated PML-N’s Shakeel Awan; NA-57, Attock-I, PTI’s Malik Amin Aslam is defeating PML-N’s Aftab Ahmed; NA-59, Attock-III, PML-N’s Asif Ali Malik is leading against PTI’s Sardar M Ali; NA-60 Chakwal-I, PML-N’s Tahir Iqbal is leading against Safdar Abbas, an independe candidate; NA-62 Jhelum-I, PML-N’s Chaudhry Khadim Hussain defeated PTI’s Chaudhry Muhammad Saqlain; NA-63 Jhelum-II, PML-N’s Raja Iqbal Mehdi defeated PTI’s Mirza Saeed Muhmood Baig; NA-92 Gojra, PML-N’s Chaudhry Khalid Javed Warraich won; NA-110, Sialkot, PML-N’s Kh Muhammad Asif is having an edge against PTI’s Usman Dar; NA-148 Multan-I, PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi is leading against PPP’s Musa Gilani; NA-149, Multan-II, PTI’s Makhdoom Javed Hashmi is leading against PML-N’s Tariq Rasheed; NA-151, Multan-IV, PML-N’s Sikandar Bosan is leading against PPP’s Abdul Qadir Gilani; NA-155 Lodhran-II, independent Abdul Rehman is leading; NA-157, Khanewal, PML-N’s Muhammad Khan Daha is leading against PML-Q’s Hamidyar Hiraj; NA-172, Dera Ghazi Khan, independent Sardar Jamal Khan leghari is leading; NA-176, Muzaffargarh, PML-N’s Malik Sultan Mehmood Hanjra is leading against PML-F’s Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar; NA-178, Muzaffargarh, PML-N’s Sardar Muhammad Abaad Dogar is leading against independent Jamshed Ahmad Dasti; NA-193, Khanpur-Rahim Yar Khan, PML-N’s Sheikh Fiazuddin is leading against PPP’s Mian Abdur Rashid; NA-200, Ubaro Dharki, PPP’s Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahi is leading; NA-201, Ghotaki, PPP’s Sardar Ali Muhammad Khan Mehr won; NA-202, Shikarpur-I, PPP’s Aftab Shaban Mirani took the lead; NA-214, Dolatpur, PPP’s Syed Gulam Mustafa Shah defeated PML-N’s Ali Asghar Rind; NA-224, Badin, PPP’s Khadim Chang won against PML-F’s Asghar Ali Poto; NA-225, Badin, PPP’s Dr Fehmida Mirza won against PML-F’s Yasmin Shah; NA-229, Tharparkar I, PPP’s Faqir Sher Balani defeated People’s Muslim League’s Arbab Dogarchi; NA-234, Sanghar-I, PML-F’s Pir Sadrudin Rashdi defeated PPP’s Shazia Atta Marri; NA-269, Khuzdar, BNP-M’s Mir Abdul Rauf Mengal is leading against Maulana Qamaruddin of the JUI-F; NA-263, Loralai, PML-N Sardar Yaqub Nasir is having an edge against JUI-F’s Maulvi Amir Zaman.
