'Won By Absolute Landslide,' Claims PTI as Imran Khan-Linked Candidates Outperform In Elections

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the 2024 elections by an absolute landslide, Imran Khan’s party declared on Friday as the independent candidates linked to the jailed former prime minister’s party were outperforming expectations in the polls.

This comes as Khan’s PTI was barred from contesting Thursday’s election as a bloc, but unofficial tallies by local TV channels showed independent candidates, including dozens anointed by his party, leading in most constituencies. Amid a delay in official results, PTI cautioned against manipulation, asserting it would only lead to chaos and instability.

‘Over 150 seats’

By 6 am (local time) the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced just eight National Assembly results, with three seats going to PTI-linked candidates. “PTI won the Elections 2024 by an absolute landslide. The world witnessed it. Manipulation of results now will not achieve anything other than absolute chaos & instability. The people have decided! Honor their decision,” the PTI wrote on X early Friday morning.

“Copies of these forms have been collected by PTI candidates’ polling agents, which show them winning by a large majority. According to independent reports, PTI has won well over 150 National Assembly seats & is in a solid position to form government in Federal, Punjab & KP, with a clear majority. However, manipulation of the results in the late hours of the night is an utter disgrace & a brazen theft of the nation’s mandate. The people of Pakistan vehemently reject the rigged results,” the party added.

‘Internet problems’

The ECP earlier blamed “internet problems” for the delay. TV stations were basing their projections on counting done at the local constituency level. Earlier, before the first results were announced, PTI chief organiser Omar Ayub Khan said he was confident the party had done enough. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates have the ability to form the next federal government with a two-thirds majority,” he said in a video statement released to media.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been expected to win the most seats following Thursday’s vote, with many saying party’s founder Nawaz Sharif had the blessing of the military-led establishment. But local TV channels said the party had performed poorly –- with Sharif trailing his opponent in one of the constituencies he contested. Pakistan politicians can stand for multiple seats, a frequent spoiling tactic used by parties to inject vote-winning personalities into marginal constituencies. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) appeared to be doing better than expected, with leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari saying early results were “very encouraging”.

‘Rigging’

Pollsters predicted a low turnout from the country’s 128 million eligible voters following a lacklustre campaign overshadowed by the jailing of Khan, and the hobbling of PTI through court orders, a ban on rallies, and the harassment of party leaders. Allegations of poll rigging overshadowed the election, and a voting day shutdown by authorities of the country’s mobile phone network — ostensibly on security grounds — added fuel to the fire.

Earlier, millions of Pakistanis braved cold winter weather and the threat of militant attacks to cast their ballots. More than 650,000 army, paramilitary and police personnel were deployed to provide security on Thursday. There were a total of 51 attacks nationwide, the army said, killing a dozen people including 10 security force members — fewer than in 2018, when dozens were killed.

(With agency inputs)