News Brief
US, EU Seek Probe Into Pakistan Election Results As Both Nawaz Sharif And Imran Khan Claim Victory
Election Posters In Pakistan. (Representative Image)
As per latest developments, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the favored candidate of the Pakistan Army, has extended an olive branch to rivals Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by the Bhutto-Zardari family, in an effort to form a coalition government.
The move comes as both parties trail behind Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidates in the parliamentary election results.
Addressing supporters on Friday (9 February) night, Sharif acknowledged the need for coalition-building, stating, "We don’t have enough of a majority to form a government without the support of others."
In contrast, the former PM and PTI founder, Imran Khan, said in an audio clip of his AI-enabled voice on social media platform X, "I congratulate you all on helping us win the elections handsomely. I had full faith in your turning out in such large numbers to cast your ballots....The 'London Plan' failed because of your active participation...Nawaz Sharif is a leader of low intelligence who gave a victory speech despite his party trailing in 30 seats."
With results from 226 constituencies declared, PTI-backed independent candidates have clinched 91 seats, while PML-N and PPP have secured 71 and 53 seats respectively.
However, to form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 in the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, Both the United States and the European Union have voiced concerns regarding allegations of interference in Pakistan's elections, particularly citing the arrest and violence that happened during the polling process.
They emphasized the necessity for thorough investigations into any reports of unfair practices, meddling, and fraud.
The European Union also highlighted what it termed as a "lack of a level playing field" in the electoral process, pointing out instances where certain politicians were unable to participate in the elections.
Amidst the political turmoil, General Syed Asim Munir of the pakistan army stated, "The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people."
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