Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan’s PTI neck-and-neck in first results

Pakistan, Feb 09 (Independent) With results from Pakistan’s election trickling in slower than normal, candidates backed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party appeared to be doing better than expected, as he was seen neck-and-neck with the favourite Nawaz Sharif.

Preliminary election results normally emerge within a few hours in Pakistan but were hit by long delays overnight, only adding to existing fears of poll rigging.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced results of just eight of the 265 contested seats in parliament on its website by morning.

Mr Sharif’s PML-N is leading in four seats while members of Mr Khan’s PTI party who ran as independents won three seats, and the Pakistan Peoples Party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari got just one.

The election commission cited an unspecified “internet issue” for the long delay of more than 13 hours of counting the votes as the PTI party alleged that the “overwhelming mandate of the people of Pakistan is being stolen”.

Yesterday polls opened from 8am to 5pm for more than 128 million registered voters, amid a blackout of mobile network and data services and accusations of rigging and unfair conditions for members of Mr Khan’s party.

Poll-related violence and terrorist attacks left at least 40 people dead over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, across a series of incidents.

Any party needs 133 seats in parliament for a simple majority but many analysts believe the vote may not produce a clear winner.