Islamabad:

Counting of votes in Pakistan’s general election on Thursday is underway, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan claiming victory, saying people had shown their determination to elect his party by voting in large numbers.

The imprisoned Pakistani leader also insisted on protecting the “Form 45” to defend the people’s mandate and expressed confidence in his victory, saying “no force can defeat an idea whose time has come.”
“Despite every possible method used to undermine the will of the people, our people voted today with #MassiveTurnout. As we have stated time and time again, “No force can defeat an idea whose time has come.” “It is now crucial to be wary of getting form 45 to vote,” Imran Khan posted from his X handle.

“Form 45” is known as the Election Commission of Pakistan’s vote counting statement.

According to Pakistani media Samaa TV, Form 45, often called the “vote counting results” form, is an important record in Pakistan’s electoral process. Its purpose is to maintain openness and accountability by recording and disclosing the results of voting procedures at specific polling locations.

Imran Khan also shared trends emerging from the ongoing counting of votes, in which PTI-backed independent candidates are ahead in 125 seats and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured 44 seats, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 28 seats and MQM won 28 seats. 9 o’clock, JUI 4 o’clock.

Voting in Pakistan’s general election has ended amid allegations of fraud and the shutdown of cellular and internet services, Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday.

The voting process begins at 8 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m. Pakistan’s Election Commission earlier said exceptions would only be made for those already inside polling stations.

However, the poll was not considered free and fair as there were numerous allegations of rigging and banning people from voting.

In a major development, the federal home ministry this morning suspended mobile phone and internet services across Pakistan to maintain law and order during Thursday’s general elections.

Internet monitoring agency Netblocks also said that real-time data showed that “in addition to mobile network outages, there were also Internet outages in many areas of Pakistan,” Dawn reported.

The development drew harsh criticism from the major political parties. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has demanded immediate restoration of mobile phone services across the country.

Women voters in NA-20 village of Swabi district have been completely barred from voting, ARY News reported on Thursday.
Locals in Adina village in Swabi district allegedly banned women from exercising their right to vote. According to reports, election workers have been at polling stations but have not seen any female voters.

In a separate incident, at least two children were killed in an explosion near a polling station in Washbood Panjgur, ARY News reported.
According to police officials, voting at the Malik Abad polling station of Government High School was stopped after the explosion. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged irregularities in NA-236 constituency.

It accused authorities of deliberately erecting obstacles, Geo News reported.

Reports of delays in the start of voting were rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Sindh. “The polling process at Abu Hassan Isfahani Road polling station in NA-236 was conducted without any delay or disruption,” Sindh ECP spokesperson said in a statement.

PTI also requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to extend the polling time.

Meanwhile, political violence escalated in the run-up to election day, with two explosions on Wednesday killing at least 30 people and injuring 40 others in separate locations in the southwestern province of Balochistan, a region plagued by insurgency for decades.

Furthermore, Pakistan’s caretaker government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Haq Kakar, has failed to address the country’s economic imbalances of rising debt and inflation. This means that the new government will face major challenges in dealing with an economy in crisis since the International Monetary Fund rescue agreement expires in March.

According to Pakistani local media reports, a recent World Bank report pointed out that Pakistan’s economic development is limited to the elite, causing Pakistan to lag behind other countries after the economic crisis.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)