PTI ahead with 105 seats in Pak polls

20pc votes counted: PML-N trails behind PTI with 71 while PPP leads in 39 seats

Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan’s PTI is ahead with 105 National Assembly seats followed by PML-N with 71 seats as 20% of the votes were counted at around 2:00PM in local time of Pakistan, reports Dawn.

Based on reporting of 20 per cent National Assembly seats, PTI is ahead with 105 constituencies, PML-N is trailing behind with 71 while PPP is at third spot with 39 seats.

In Punjab, with results from 19% polling stations available with ECP, PML-N is currently leading the race with 137 provincial seats but PTI is closing in with 115 seats.

Meanwhile, PTI is clearly steering ahead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 62 seats against ANP, which currently has 10 seats, as per reporting from 16% polling stations in the province.

Counting is still going on at the polling stations of different constituencies.

44% counting has been done on NA-79 (Gujranwala-I), with PML-N's candidate Nisar Ahmed Cheema in the lead with 618 votes, according to PTV News' unofficial preliminary results. PTI's Muhammad Ahmed Chattha is the runner-up with 587 votes.

According to AFP, Gallup Pakistan estimated voter turnout at between 50 to 55 per cent in an electorate of nearly 106 million — similar to the previous contest in 2013.

According to data released by ECP, a total of 3,459 candidates — 1,623 from Punjab, 824 from Sindh, 725 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 287 from Balochistan — were cleared to run for the 272 general seats of the national assembly. However, elections in two constituencies — NA-60, NA-108 — were later postponed by the commission.

A single party will need to bag at least 137 of the directly elected seats to be able to form the government on its own.

In the event that a party is unable to secure a “simple majority”, there is a hung parliament. This is when no single party can make government, leaving room for the formation of a coalition government of winning candidates from various political parties.

AFP reports: At least 31 people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide bomb attack on a polling station in restive southwest Pakistan as millions voted in a nationwide election yesterday.

Shoes and charred vehicles littered the blood-smeared road near the polling station in the Balochistan provincial capital Quetta, as the dead and injured were shuttled to hospital accompanied by distraught loved ones.

Local officials said the bomber was trying to enter the polling station when police intervened and the attacker detonated his explosives.

"Suddenly there was a huge blast. I was flung on the ground and I thought that I was about to die," madrassa teacher Hafiz Kareem told AFP from his hospital bed.

Dr Wasim Baig, spokesman for the Sandeman Provincial Hospital in Quetta, said the death toll had risen to 31 with 70 injured, including eight in critical condition. The dead include five policemen and an eight-year-old girl, Baig added.

Mehmood Khan, 18, said he was going to vote when the bomb went off, killing two of his friends.

"Suddenly there was a huge blast and then bodies, blood, cries, dust was everywhere," said Khan. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group through its official Amaq news agency.

It was IS's latest assault on Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest and most volatile province that struggles with multiple Islamist and separatist insurgencies.

Voters appeared undeterred, returning to polling booths after the dead and injured had been evacuated. "Bombings keep on happening and life also goes on here, I am voting," Abdul Razzaq, 50, told AFP.

"What has happened, happened, it cannot stop people from voting," added Ali Khan, 30.

Balochistan has suffered the brunt of a series of attacks that killed more than 180 people across Pakistan during the brief but acrimonious election campaign. A blast in Mastung district also claimed by IS killed 153 people including local politician Siraj Raisani.

He was one of three election candidates killed by militants during the election campaign.

An earlier attack in Balochistan on Wednesday left one policeman dead and three wounded when a hand grenade was thrown at a polling station in the village of Koshk, in Khuzdar district.

Meanwhile, Polls opened yesterday in a tense, unpredictable Pakistani election that could be former World Cup cricketer Imran Khan's best shot at power, after a campaign marred by allegations of military interference and a series of deadly attacks, reports AFP from Islamabad.

The vote is meant to be a rare democratic transition of power in the nuclear-armed country which has been ruled by the powerful military for roughly half its history. But it has been dubbed Pakistan's "dirtiest election" due to widespread accusations of pre-poll rigging by the armed forces, with Khan believed to be the beneficiary.

The contest has largely boiled down to a two-way race between Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, whose brother Shahbaz is leading the campaign.

The first voter to enter a polling station in the eastern city of Lahore was a woman, business executive Maryum Arif, who told AFP she planned to vote for the PML-N as "it has served Pakistan".

She was followed shortly after by Shahbaz Sharif, who called on Pakistanis to "get out of their homes and ... change the fate of Pakistan" before casting his own vote and flashing a victory sign. Up to 800,000 police and military forces have been stationed at more than 85,000 polling stations across the country, with concerns for security after a string of bloody militant attacks in the final weeks of the campaign that have killed more than 180 people, including three candidates.

Early Wednesday one policeman was killed and three wounded in a hand grenade attack on a polling station in southwestern Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest and most restive province, local police there told AFP.

No group has yet claimed the attack, but Balochistan suffers from Islamist and separatists insurgencies and was the scene of several campaign bombings, including a devastating attack claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 153 people this month.

PTI ahead with 105 seats in Pak polls

20pc votes counted: PML-N trails behind PTI with 71 while PPP leads in 39 seats

Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khans PTI is ahead with 105 National Assembly seats followed by PML-N with 71 seats as 20% of the votes were counted at around 2:00PM in local time of Pakistan, reports Dawn. Based on reporting of 20 per cent National Assembly seats, PTI is ahead with 105 constituencies, PML-N is trailing behind with 71 while PPP is at third spot with 39 seats. In Punjab, with results from 19% polling stations available with ECP, PML-N is currently leading the race with 137 provincial seats but PTI is closing in with 115 seats. Meanwhile, PTI is clearly steering ahead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 62 seats against ANP, which currently has 10 seats, as per reporting from 16% polling stations in the province. Counting is still going on at the polling stations of different constituencies. 44% counting has been done on NA-79 (Gujranwala-I), with PML-Ns candidate Nisar Ahmed Cheema in the lead with 618 votes, according to PTV News unofficial preliminary results. PTIs Muhammad Ahmed Chattha is the runner-up with 587 votes. According to AFP, Gallup Pakistan estimated voter turnout at between 50 to 55 per cent in an electorate of nearly 106 million similar to the previous contest in 2013. According to data released by ECP, a total of 3,459 candidates 1,623 from Punjab, 824 from Sindh, 725 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 287 from Balochistan were cleared to run for the 272 general seats of the national assembly. However, elections in two constituencies NA-60, NA-108 were later postponed by the commission. A single party will need to bag at least 137 of the directly elected seats to be able to form the government on its own. In the event that a party is unable to secure a simple majority, there is a hung parliament. This is when no single party can make government, leaving room for the formation of a coalition government of winning candidates from various political parties. AFP reports: At least 31 people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide bomb attack on a polling station in restive southwest Pakistan as millions voted in a nationwide election yesterday. Shoes and charred vehicles littered the blood-smeared road near the polling station in the Balochistan provincial capital Quetta, as the dead and injured were shuttled to hospital accompanied by distraught loved ones. Local officials said the bomber was trying to enter the polling station when police intervened and the attacker detonated his explosives. Suddenly there was a huge blast. I was flung on the ground and I thought that I was about to die, madrassa teacher Hafiz Kareem told AFP from his hospital bed. Dr Wasim Baig, spokesman for the Sandeman Provincial Hospital in Quetta, said the death toll had risen to 31 with 70 injured, including eight in critical condition. The dead include five policemen and an eight-year-old girl, Baig added. Mehmood Khan, 18, said he was going to vote when the bomb went off, killing two of his friends. Suddenly there was a huge blast and then bodies, blood, cries, dust was everywhere, said Khan. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group through its official Amaq news agency. It was ISs latest assault on Balochistan, Pakistans poorest and most volatile province that struggles with multiple Islamist and separatist insurgencies. Voters appeared undeterred, returning to polling booths after the dead and injured had been evacuated. Bombings keep on happening and life also goes on here, I am voting, Abdul Razzaq, 50, told AFP. What has happened, happened, it cannot stop people from voting, added Ali Khan, 30. Balochistan has suffered the brunt of a series of attacks that killed more than 180 people across Pakistan during the brief but acrimonious election campaign. A blast in Mastung district also claimed by IS killed 153 people including local politician Siraj Raisani. He was one of three election candidates killed by militants during the election campaign. An earlier attack in Balochistan on Wednesday left one policeman dead and three wounded when a hand grenade was thrown at a polling station in the village of Koshk, in Khuzdar district. Meanwhile, Polls opened yesterday in a tense, unpredictable Pakistani election that could be former World Cup cricketer Imran Khans best shot at power, after a campaign marred by allegations of military interference and a series of deadly attacks, reports AFP from Islamabad. The vote is meant to be a rare democratic transition of power in the nuclear-armed country which has been ruled by the powerful military for roughly half its history. But it has been dubbed Pakistans dirtiest election due to widespread accusations of pre-poll rigging by the armed forces, with Khan believed to be the beneficiary. The contest has largely boiled down to a two-way race between Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, whose brother Shahbaz is leading the campaign. The first voter to enter a polling station in the eastern city of Lahore was a woman, business executive Maryum Arif, who told AFP she planned to vote for the PML-N as it has served Pakistan. She was followed shortly after by Shahbaz Sharif, who called on Pakistanis to get out of their homes and ... change the fate of Pakistan before casting his own vote and flashing a victory sign. Up to 800,000 police and military forces have been stationed at more than 85,000 polling stations across the country, with concerns for security after a string of bloody militant attacks in the final weeks of the campaign that have killed more than 180 people, including three candidates. Early Wednesday one policeman was killed and three wounded in a hand grenade attack on a polling station in southwestern Balochistan, Pakistans poorest and most restive province, local police there told AFP. No group has yet claimed the attack, but Balochistan suffers from Islamist and separatists insurgencies and was the scene of several campaign bombings, including a devastating attack claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 153 people this month.