Pakistan’s Imran Khan wins vote without majority

ISLAMABAD — The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday declared former cricket star Imran Khan’s party the winner of Pakistan’s historic third consecutive election of a civilian government, but he did not win an outright majority and must form a coalition.

China hopes for a smooth political transition in Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday.

“Imran Khan has reiterated that relations with China are the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy that ‘no matter which party takes office, the friendly policy toward China will not be changed’,” Geng said.

Khan had already declared victory in the pivotal vote.

The Election Commission said on Friday that with only 11 seats left to count, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement of Justice), or PTI, enjoys a strong lead with 114 seats, and will be the largest party in parliament.

At a news conference, the commission said that the Muslim League-Nawaz, or PML-N, had 63 seats and the Pakistan People’s Party, or PPP, which could prove kingmaker in a coalition government, had won 43.

The count indicates PTI would not achieve the 137 seats needed in the National Assembly to form a majority government in its own right.

Later on Friday, the PML-N conceded its loss to the PTI.

Fawad Chaudhry, the spokesman for Khan’s party, said efforts were already underway to form a coalition, looking to both independents and allies, but the process is likely to take several days.

The ECP had blamed a delay in the results, an unofficial version of which had been expected late on Wednesday, on technical glitches.

Wide-ranging address

Khan, a 65-year-old former cricket star, claimed victory in a wide-ranging address to the nation on Thursday.

“We were successful and we were given a mandate,” he said from his home in the capital Islamabad. “Today in front of you, in front of the people of Pakistan, I pledge I will run Pakistan in such a way as it has never before been run.”

Khan’s statement came after his supporters took to the streets to celebrate.

Seeking good relations with his neighbors, Khan addressed Pakistan’s rival, India. The two nuclear powers have had a long-running conflict over the disputed Kashmir region.

“Take one step toward us and we will take two steps toward you,” he said.

Before the election, his crowning glory was to drive the cricket team to its first and only Cricket World Cup triumph in 1992.

He retired at age 39, opened a cancer hospital in memory of his mother two years later, and launched his political party, the PTI, four years later.

As the Oxford graduate was set to become the first international cricketer in the world to be elected as a country’s prime minister, ex-teammate Ramiz Raja who was part of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup winning side captained by Khan, said on Twitter: “Who could be a bigger and better example of a leader than Imran Khan, who as a super star had the world at his feet and yet elbow greased for 22 years to work for his objective and vision ... he’s special and we are proud to have him as our prime minister.”