Pakistan Election Live: 144 Prohibitory Order in Islamabad in presence of Imran Khan's PTI

The results of more than half of Pakistan's constituencies are out, with independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan winning the most seats so far.

A Reuters tally of results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) showed independent candidates backed by Khan's PTI party had won 49 of the 136 seats declared as of Friday evening, out of a total of 235 contested.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is a close second with 42 and slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with 34.

Almost 24 hours have passed since the Election Commission announced the end of polling. Initially expected in the small hours of Friday morning, the results were unusually delayed, with officials blaming technical reasons for the delay.

Maya Tudor, associate professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, believes the victory of PTI-backed candidates will be significant, with candidates backed by former prime minister Imran Khan's party taking a stunning lead.

“A win would be significant. The odds were stacked against Khan. The military used every tool in the toolbox to weaken PTI's power, from banning their cricket bat symbol to shutting down the internet on polling day,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.

“But even if PTI-backed candidates win, the road ahead remains rocky. A shaky economy, conflicts at almost every border and soaring inflation are felt by ordinary Pakistanis on a daily basis.

“Uncertainty will add to these woes if there is no clear winner.”

The Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan described the delay in announcing the election results as “regrettable”. In a statement published on X, it said: “#HRCP condemns the delay in announcing the election results, which should have been communicated to @ECP_Pakistan by election officials at 2 am today under Rule 84 of the Election Rules. It was made public shortly.”

“Under the rules, if election officials have incomplete results at this time, why are they legally bound to the ECP and indicate which tally is still pending? This lack of transparency is deeply troubling. Further, we do not find any plausible reason to attribute any extraordinary circumstances which could justify this delay.

At the moment, the PTI-backed independents are close to the PML-N and the PPP.

Pakistan-based Bakir Sajjad of the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank wrote in X: “What is happening in Pakistan with the election results is unfortunate. The rise in discontent does not paint a promising picture for the country's future. It is sad to see deliberate attempts to intensify these sentiments for petty interests.

Despite a crackdown on one of its most popular parties and doubts about the role of the powerful military establishment, there is an air of optimism about Pakistan's election. Urban Roy Report:

Pakistanis went to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament in a race that boils down to a few major parties:

Pakistan's Information Minister Murtaza Solanki said on Friday that internet services were not blocked in the country on February 8, despite cyber watchdogs saying mobile phone services and internet access were disrupted across the country on Thursday.

“Internet service shutdown has not been introduced in Pakistan […] This has happened in America, Britain and even our neighboring country,” he said. “No one has fought against terrorism as much as we have,” he was quoted as saying the dawn.

As results trickle in, analysts say the past two years of political turmoil show the Pakistani military's grip on power is as tight as ever. Shweta Sharma said:

The Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan described the delay in announcing the election results as “regrettable”. In a statement published on X, it said: “#HRCP condemns the delay in announcing the election results, which should have been communicated to @ECP_Pakistan by election officials at 2 am today under Rule 84 of the Election Rules. It was made public shortly.”

“Under the rules, if the returning officers have incomplete results at this time, they are legally bound to the ECP and indicate which tally is still pending. This lack of transparency is deeply troubling. Further, we do not find any plausible reason to attribute any extraordinary circumstances which could justify this delay.

At the moment, the PTI-backed independents are close to the PML-N and the PPP.

Pakistan-based Bakir Sajjad of the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank wrote in X: “What is happening in Pakistan with the election results is unfortunate. The rise in discontent does not paint a promising picture for the country's future. It is sad to see deliberate attempts to intensify these sentiments for petty interests.

Maya Tudor, associate professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, believes that the victory of PTI-backed candidates will be significant, with candidates backed by former prime minister Imran Khan's party taking a stunning lead.

“A win would be significant. The odds were stacked against Khan. The military used every tool in the toolbox to weaken PTI's power, from banning their cricket bat symbol to an internet blackout on polling day,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.

“But even if PTI-backed candidates win, the road ahead remains rocky. A shaky economy, conflicts at almost every border and soaring inflation are felt by ordinary Pakistanis on a daily basis.

“Uncertainty will add to these woes if there is no clear winner.”

A Google Doodle from February 8 depicts a ballot box with a Pakistani flag alongside a vote for the next parliament:

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