The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released provisional results on Friday morning, indicating a closely contested election between independent candidates and two major political parties, PMLN and PPP, for National Assembly seats.
As of 10:40 pm, provisional results for at least 236 constituencies were available on the ECP website. Independent candidates led in the race for the National Assembly’s 265 seats, with PMLN closely behind and PPP trailing.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed concerns over result delays but expressed satisfaction with the initial outcome, stating that PPP-supported candidates were performing well.
The slow election results process was attributed to the suspension of internet and mobile services for security reasons. The interim government defended the decision, emphasizing the safety of citizens over potential communication means for terrorists.
Key provisional results included independent candidates leading with at least 95 seats, PMLN with 64, and PPP with 51. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussian-led PMLQ secured at least 4 seats, while Jahangir Tareen’s IPP and Fazlur Rehman’s JUI won two seats each.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won NA-130 in Lahore, defeating PTI-backed candidate Yasmin Rashid with 179,310 votes against Rashid’s 104,485 votes. However, Nawaz Sharif lost NA-15 Mansehra to a PTI-backed candidate.
The Election Commission faced criticism for the slow release of results, prompting Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja to personally intervene to ensure immediate results.
Other notable results included PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif winning NA-123 in Lahore with 63,953 votes, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Saalik Hussain winning from NA-64 in Gujrat with 105,205 votes, and PML-N’s Ghulam Abbas winning NA-59 in Chakwal with 141,680 votes.
Independent candidates also secured victories, with Samiullah Khan winning PK-76 in KP Assembly with 18,888 votes, Fazal Hakeem Khan winning PK-6 in Swat with 25,330 votes, and Hameedur Rahman winning PK-19 in Bajaur with 23,044 votes.
In the Balochistan Assembly, JUI-P candidate Mir Ghulam Dastgir Badeni won PB-34 with 16,771 votes, while BNP’s Muhammad Rahim secured the second position with 15,014 votes.
These results highlighted the competitive nature of the elections, with a mix of victories for independent candidates and major political parties across various constituencies.
