Islamabad:

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party urged protests outside election offices on Sunday as police fired tear gas to disperse the jailed former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, who said there was fraud in last week’s national vote. supporters.

Clashes were reported in the city of Rawalpindi to the south of the capital and Lahore to the east, while dozens of other protests were held across the country without incident.

Police earlier warned they would crack down on illegal gatherings. There were no immediate reports of injuries from the protests.

Independent candidates – most closely associated with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – secured the most seats in the polls, undermining the chances of the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) winning the ruling most.

However, independents have been unable to form a government and the country faces weeks of political uncertainty as rival parties negotiate a possible alliance.

PKR leaders claim they could have won more seats without vote manipulation.

A nationwide mobile phone blackout and slow vote counting on election day have raised suspicions that the military is influencing the electoral process to ensure the success of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Muslim League-Sharif faction.

PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan told a news conference on Saturday that “elections are being subtly rigged across Pakistan” and called on supporters to “protest peacefully” on Sunday.

Authorities warned they would take strict action, saying so-called “Section 144” orders were in place, a colonial-era law banning public gatherings.

“Some people incited illegal gatherings around the Election Commission and other government offices,” Islamabad police said in a statement on Sunday.

“Legal action will be taken against illegal gatherings. It is important to note that soliciting gatherings is also a crime,” the statement said.

A similar warning was issued in Rawalpindi, where dozens of police officers in riot gear gathered near Lahore’s Free Market.

In Rawalpindi, AFP staff saw police firing tear gas at dozens of PTI supporters after they refused orders to stop picketing offices used to collect constituency election results.

Another gathering of about 200 PTI supporters dispersed quickly as police entered Lahore carrying riot shields and batons.

Local media said several people were detained in southern Karachi for refusing orders to clear the area.

uncertain future

Imran Khan’s party emerged as the winner in Thursday’s vote, defying a months-long crackdown that has crippled the campaign and forced candidates to run as independents.

The final results were announced on Sunday, with the Independent Party winning 101 seats, the PML-N 75 seats, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) 54 seats and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) 17 seats.

Ten small parties captured the remaining 17 seats, with two remaining vacant.

“The results clearly show that no single party has a simple majority to form a government,” said political analyst and author Zahid Hussain.

“The country’s political future is highly uncertain from now on.”

Nonetheless, PTI leaders insist they have a “people’s mandate” to form the next government.

“The people have decided to support Imran Khan,” party chairman Gohar Ali Khan told Arab News.

An alliance between the PML-N and the PPP, which formed the last government after ousting Imran Khan in a vote of no confidence in April 2022, remains the most likely outcome.

Pakistan’s military chief told feuding politicians on Saturday to show “maturity and unity”.

General Syed Asim Munir said in a statement: “The country needs a steady hand and a healing force to escape from anarchy and polarized politics that are not befitting of a country with A progressive country of 250 million people.”

The military occupies an important place in Pakistan’s political landscape, with generals ruling the country for nearly half of its history since partition from India in 1947.

The military-backed Muslim League-Sharif, founded by three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, declared victory as the party with the most seats, but will be forced to strike deals with rivals and independents in order to form a government.

Imran Khan was barred from participating in the election after being sentenced to multiple long jail terms just days before the vote.

This month he was found guilty of treason, corruption and un-Islamic marriage in three separate trials, which included nearly 200 cases filed against him since his deportation.

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