Imran Khan set to be PM; Nawaz Sharif’s party ready to sit in Opposition

NEW DELHI: The official results of the Pakistan general elections have given victory to cricketerturned-politician Imran Khan’s party Tehreek-e-insaf or PTI, according to reports. Khan will, however, need to stitch an alliance to form a coalition government.

Results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday showed PTI had won 115 seats. The National Assembly has 272 seats in total and the halfway mark is 137 for a simple majority.

Khan’s direct rival and jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s party PML-N won 62 seats. The left-of-centre Pakistan People’s Party or PPP led by Bilawal Bhutto, son of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto, won 43 seats.

The PML-N initially rejected the so far incomplete results, but by Friday its leaders appeared reconciled that Khan would be the next prime minister.

“We are going to sit on opposition benches, despite all the reservations,” said Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, a parliamentarian and the nephew of Nawaz Sharif, who is in prison after being convicted on corruption charges he disputes.

Results from some seats are still being counted, reports said.

Although Imran Khan appeared likely to fall short of the 137 seats needed for a majority in the National Assembly, his betterthan-expected results mean he should have no problems forming a government with a handful of small coalition partners.

During a presidential style address on Thursday night, Imran Khan offered to investigate opposition claims of rigging and vowed to improve relations with India and Afghanistan, while calling for “mutually beneficial” ties with the US.