Pakistan poll results start pouring in, PTI blames 'mass rigging' for delay in outcome

Islamabad, Feb 9 (IANS) The Election Commission of Pakistan is announcing poll results for the general elections since early Friday morning, amid PTI's allegation of mass rigging. 

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

"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 posted on party's X account.

Meanwhile PML-N's Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the party will form the government in the Centre and Punjab.

In a post on X, she said that the results were still being received by the party’s election cell.

"Due to the unavailability of mobile and internet services, it became difficult to get the results,” she said, adding that the party’s position was "strong".

PTI-backed candidates Fazal Muhammad Khan has won NA-25 Charsadda II Muhammad Abdul Salam and Sultan Room have won their seats from PK-58 Mardan and PK-9 Swat, Iftikharullah Jan has emerged victorious with 39,538 votes in PK-64 Charsadda III,

PTI-backed candidate Saleem Rehman has won from Swat's NA-3 with 81,411 votes, according to the preliminary result announced by the ECP.

PPP candidates Sadiq Ali Memon won from NA-225 Thatta, Nazeer Ahmed Bughio won NA-195 (Larkana), Makhdoom Jameel-uz-Zaman has won from NA-216 Matiari, Nazeer Ahmed Bughio won NA-195 (Larkana), Mehboob Ali Khan Bijarani won PS-6 Kashmore III and Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar won from PS-21, Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Khan Mahar won the PS-20 Ghotki seat.

The polling ended on Thursday at 5 p.m. after which ballot counting started but there was no clear picture on which party was leading.

As political parties cried foul about delay in poll outcome and questioned the poll watchdog, the ECP directed all the provincial Election Commissioners and Returning Officers to announce the results within half an hour or else face strict action.

To form the government in the country, a party needs to secure win on 133 of the 265 seats. Polling was postponed on one seat after death of a candidate.

--IANS

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