ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's elections oversight body says it doesn't expect to announce final results declaring an outright winner in the country's parliamentary elections before late Thursday morning, reported AP.
The comments from Election Commission official Babar Yaqoob came hours after Wednesday's polls closed across Pakistan amid allegations of fraud by the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League party.
Early unofficial results have given cricket star Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party a commanding lead over his main rival, Shahbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League.
Sharif has charged fraud even before the release of final results, saying he won't accept the results.
According to unofficial and unconfirmed results received from across the country as counting continues, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) is leading with 114 seats in the National Assembly while the outgoing ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), follows with 64 seats, PPP with 45, independent candidates with 11, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) with 14 seats, respectively, after 47% results received.
The PML-N currently leads in Punjab with 129 seats for the provincial assembly, PTI could bag 122, independent candidates won 31 seats, as per the 49% results received.
In Sindh, PPP is leading with 76 seats, PTI follows with 21, and MQM bagged 17 seats, according to results from 33% poling stations.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI leads with 64 seats, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) follows with 11 seats, the Awami National Party (ANP) secured 8 seats after 40 percent results received.
In Balochistan, the newly formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) is currently leading the race with 12 seats, Balochistan National Party (BNP) follows with 9 seats and independent candidates won 8 seats after 33% result received.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) is leading in Karachi with 12 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) follows with 6 seats, PPP with 3 while Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) could bag according to results received early Thursday morning.
The trend thus far shows PTI is likely heading toward forming a coalition government in the center after an election that witnessed major upsets for big political names including the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who lost to PTI candidate in Malakand. MQM-P Chief Dr. Farooq Sattar, a veteran politician from urban Karachi also lost to PTI candidates Arif Alvi and Dr. Amir Liaqat in Karachi. PML-N firebrand leader and former law minister of Punjab, Rana Sanaullah, also lost his constituency to a PTI candidate in Faisalabad city of Punjab.
