Pakistani cricket icon-turned-politician Imran Khan inched closer to power on Thursday after a general election that has been marred by long delays in ballot counting and claims of rigging by opponents.
With nearly half the votes counted from Wednesday's election, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), or Pakistan Movement for Justice, was in a commanding lead in the nuclear-armed, Muslim nation.
But supporters of jailed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the counting process was an assault on democracy in a country that has a history of military rule.
The stock market shot up nearly 2 percent in early trading on relief the likely coalition government will not be a weak one. Pakistan faces a mounting economic crisis that is likely to require a bailout by the International Monetary Fund, although PTI has not ruled out seeking succour from China, Islamabad's closest ally.
Reacting, his former spouse Jemima Goldsmith wrote; “I remember IK’s 1st election in 1997- untested, idealistic & politically naive. I waited up for the call in LHR with 3 mo old Sulaiman, who I had lugged around the country. Eventually he called. “It’s a clean sweep" & after my gasp, “… the other way.” He roared with laughter.”
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Thursday inched towards becoming the single largest party in the country's general elections by leading on 120 seats in an early count of votes even as rival political parties alleged rigging.
While final results are expected in the coming hours, initial outcomes show that the PTI would emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly. In several cities, PTI supporters rejoiced by waving flags and raising party slogans as results trickled in after the voting on Wednesday.
The 65-year-old former cricketer's PTI was ahead in 120 of 272 contested National Assembly constituencies, while its main rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was way behind with 61 seats. The Pakistan People's Party was leading on 40 seats.
With inputs from PTI
