Supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared to have an edge in Pakistan’s election results, local media reported Friday, with over 136 of the 265 contested seats counted.
The vote count was marked by delays, which the government attributed to a suspension of mobile phone services.
According to Geo News, independents, largely loyal to Khan, secured 60 of the 136 seats reported.
Pakistan Peoples Party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of assassinated Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, won 37 seats.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) captured 42 seats, and the remaining were taken by smaller parties.
Khan is currently imprisoned, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was excluded from the election, leading his supporters to run as independents.
Analysts are suggesting the possibility of no clear winner emerging, further complicating the situation in a country already grappling with an economic crisis and increasing militant violence amid a deeply polarized political landscape.
