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Imran Khan\u2019s supporters demonstrated in key cities across Pakistan as two rival parties held talks to form a government even though Khan loyalists won the most seats in Thursday\u2019s polls.<\/p>\n
Supporters of Khan\u2019s Pakistan\u00a0Tehreek-e-Insaf party staged protests in the cities of Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar. The crowds numbered in the hundreds due to the heavy police presence, small when compared to previous demonstrations. Several were arrested.<\/p>\n
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan asked supporters to stage peaceful protests at election offices, saying polling was manipulated and the Election Commission of Pakistan should stop vote rigging \u2014 allegations it has denied. PTI supporters should now \u201cexercise their constitutional, democratic and political right to peaceful protest to protect the mandate of the people,\u201d he said in a post on X.<\/p>\n
The protests up the tempo after an already contentious election, which saw Khan\u2019s candidates, forced to run as independents, shock observers by clinching the most seats but falling short of a majority. The victory showed Pakistan\u2019s young voters and the middle class were disillusioned with the status quo of political parties backed by the Sharif and Bhutto clans and voted in numbers for an alternative.<\/p>\n
Analysts say the nation\u2019s powerful military, which has clashed with Khan, is backing a government formed by the Nawaz Sharif\u2019s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari\u2019s Pakistan Peoples Party. Sharif\u2019s party failed to reach an agreement on forming a government with Bhutto Zardari\u2019s group in initial talks Saturday but forged a working pact with a secular-based party known as Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan from the commercial capital of Karachi.<\/p>\n
The independents\u2019 strong performance points to Khan\u2019s enduring popularity among the nation\u2019s 129 million registered voters, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet amid the fastest inflation in Asia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the military establishment and the rest of politicians join hands and refuse the transfer of power then the anger will boil over to the streets,\u201d said Sarwar Bari, Islamabad-based political analyst and former head of Free and Fair Election Network. \u201cThe majority is with the PTI despite all the odds.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were reports of service on X, formerly known as Twitter<\/a>, being suspended on Saturday with internet governance watchdog NetBlocks saying it was a nationwide disruption. Police in Islamabad, the country\u2019s capital, warned protesters against gathering around election commission offices and other public institutions on Sunday.<\/p>\n The military, widely believed by analysts to have given its blessing for Sharif, 74, or his brother Shehbaz, 72, to lead the government, appealed for unity. \u201cIt is now incumbent upon all political parties to reciprocate the same with political maturity and unity,\u201d Army Chief Asim Munir said in a statement on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n The army has ruled Pakistan directly and behind the scenes for most the country\u2019s modern history but recently said it will no longer be involved in politics. Khan has said the generals conspired with other political parties to oust him from power in April 2022 and it was responsible for the crackdown against him and his group, allegations the military have repeatedly denied.\u00a0<\/p>\n The growing risk of violence and uncertainty in forming a government would weigh on an economy already challenged on several fronts. Inflation is running at 28% and the latest International Monetary Fund bailout program is set to expire in March, suggesting the next leader will have to negotiate a new deal.<\/p>\n \u201cIrregularities and a delay in election results could start a legal battle and this situation can also jeopardize the economic outlook in the short run,\u201d said Adnan Khan, head of international sales at Intermarket Securities Ltd. \u201cIt seems the new government would be a weak coalition who needs to deal with the IMF.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Khan, 71, and Nawaz Sharif claimed victory on Friday night: the ex-cricker star Khan doing so in an AI-generated voice message to his followers posted on social media, the veteran politician to a cheering crowd in his family stronghold of Lahore. Their victory speeches came more than a day after Thursday\u2019s elections, which was marred by a suspension of mobile phone services, security forces clashing with suspected militants, and long delays in releasing the results.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bhutto Zardari, 35, the son of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto and a candidate for prime minister, told local television that his party would be a kingmaker. \u201cNo one can form government without us,\u201d he said on local television.\u00a0<\/p>\n Khan\u2019s party leaders have said PTI supporters account for about 95 to 97 out of the 101 seats won by independent candidates and they are confident in retaining these politicians\u2019 loyalty. But analysts say they could be vulnerable to poaching from other parties. Sharif\u2019s party controls 75 seats and the Bhutto Zardaris have 54. There are five more seats yet to be announced and the election for one constituency has been delayed.<\/p>\n A coalition would need 133 out of the 265 lower house seats that were contested to get a majority. Khan\u2019s independent candidates will now need to join a political party if they want a shot at forming a government. Khan, in prison, is unlikely to be able take part in politics himself. He still faces more than 170 charges, which he says are politically motivated.<\/p>\n The US, UK and the European Union have expressed concerns about polling irregularities. Pakistan\u2019s foreign ministry said their statements and many others ignore the fact that elections were held peacefully.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are surprised by the negative tone of some of these statements, which neither take into account the complexity of the electoral process, nor acknowledge the free and enthusiastic exercise of the right to vote by tens of millions of Pakistanis,\u201d the ministry said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\nCompeting Claims<\/h3>\n
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