PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’ party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), despite finishing third in terms of seats, received the second largest number of votes in the general election, data released on Monday showed.
PTI polled 7.7 million votes in the general election to win 28 National Assembly seats, but Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which led the outgoing government, took 32 seats with only 6.9 million ballots.
Turnout at the election, which marked the first time a civilian government had completed a five-year term and handed over power at the ballot box, was 55 per cent, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said - up from 44 per cent in the 2008 poll.
In total, 46.2 million people voted compared with 36.6 million five years ago, despite Taliban threats to attack polling stations on election day.
Both PTI and PPP were well behind Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), led by two-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, which took 126 seats having received 14.9 million votes, according to the ECP.
PML-N officials say they have persuaded 18 independent lawmakers to join the party, taking them comfortably beyond the 136 seats they need to be sure of a majority in the lower house.
In the National Assembly, 272 seats are elected directly. A further 70 seats reserved for women and minorities are distributed to parties according to the proportion of general seats they win.
Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has sent an advisory note to President Asif Ali Zardari asking him to convene the National Assembly on Saturday for the swearing-in of new lawmakers, the premier's press secretary Shafqat Jalil told AFP.
The house is expected to choose a speaker and deputy speaker on June 3, and on June 5 it will formally elect the prime minister - Nawaz, who is expected to begin an unprecedented third term in office.
Results are still awaited from seven seats where polling was delayed due to violence or where recounts were ordered after allegations of irregularities.
COMMENTS (52)
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I endorse reasonlight. Truth can never be expected from a person like Imran. He always told a lie during his life. We should not forget his changing verdict about Sheikh Rasheed and MQM again and again. He always tells lie.
Nawaz Sharif was not the real target of Imran Khan. He promised that he would not lie. It was a lie itself.
i feel sorry for PTI fans. PTI could not win elections because youth of Pakistan voted for PML-N. I salute the youth for taking the correct decision. Allah bless Pakistan.
nothing is impossible in a country like pakistan if establishment is with you.
Poor show N League supporters, you even fail to comprehend simple things, those who are rigging even in comments of news (by posting from different names with same account) would they not rig in elections?
The thing note here is that N League won 100% extra votes than PTI but 400% seats than PTI.....lol lame people...can't even see simple facts that are shouting in the face..rigging rigging !
@roadkashehzada: N adopted Q league members and PTI not more than two or three dozen.
Thanks to Gen. Pasha who played a vital role for PTI.
No hopes from PTI. It is led by an immature person who lacks confidence.
@Iram: come on, PTI had its fair share of electables, remember washing machine comment of IK?
Imran could have been a better PM comparing previous governments. For that matter any Tom Dik and Harry could have been better. I am least disappointed because I didnt attach high hopes. Supporters's expectations were due to world cup.
who was the second guy to step on moon? few people know his name. its all about #1
N votes are not purely party votes but electable were hired from Q league/PPP and they got votes at their own but at the other hand PTI votes are purely Imran Khan votes.
Recount the votes with thumb impression verification utility and PTI will become the first to get most votes.
attained the lowest level of so called deomocracy
PTI = tsunami that fell off the radar...... LOL !
Playing with numbers is not going to change the seats won. Let us grow up and be happy on the third position even on the best day in PTI history. ANP and PPP are showing more grace even on their worst day in their history. IK should once again sit in NA with his group and support the treasury or opposition leaders whenever they are right. Let us move on and stop licking the wounds.
@John the Baptist: This is called unfair distribution of National Assembly seats. PML-N wins in Pujanb, makes the Federal Govt. While PTI won some in all 4 provinces but cant make Govt. And this unjust division is what all other provinces been complaining for very long time.
Why the Media is still reluctant to give headlines to PML-N that has secured highest-ever votes in the history of Pakistan??? PML-N secured cleansweep victory due to proven track record of delivering Good Governance (education, health, transportation, infrastructure development & public welfare) despite the fact that it has been fighting a long battle with the establishment of Pakistan and both the pro-establishment parties (PPP as well as PTI) had indulged in negative advertisements against PML-N. All independent surveys including Gallup, IRI, Economist were predicting PML-N's landslide victory in Pakistan. Let me remind the trolls that in late 2011& early 2012 Tsunami Khan was boasting on these surveys and his cronies used to bring those pages to TV talk shows! All my university fellows voted for PML-N.
The arrogant policy of Imran to boycott all by elections is the reason that 7.7 million votes did not turn into more seats. By elections are practice matches, just like 1st term, 2nd term and 3rd term exams are preparations for annual exams. Would he learn from his mistakes? Never.
@John the Baptist: You clearly do not understand the concept of first past the post system. Whether there was rigging or not and to what extent there was rigging is a separate issue but when there are multiple parties contesting in a first past the post electoral system, votes do not always translate into seats and this in itself does not indicate rigging by any means. It appears tha in many seats in Karachi as well as a large number of seats in Punjab PTI had the 2nd highest number of one's. Such a situation can very well lead to a relatively high toe count without commensurate number of seats.
You deserve the leaders you get. Munafiq people hence munafiq leaders. I wont even send my Zakat to Pakistan anymore they are not worth it.
@faisal: Yea 77 lakh ppl voted for PTI because establishment told them to. Boss I'd like to get my hands on what you are smoking lately.
Well the overseas Pakistanis were deliberately kept from voting in the elections or Imran's PTI would have easily gotten 10+ million votes altogether…
To PML (Nawaz) supporters, I would like to congratulate you for election out come and gaining with exceptional support. Now rather than blaming on PTI for next five years, I would suggest you to follow up with your elected leader to make sure they deliver what was claimed earlier.
And as s start, PML-N supporter should ask Nawaz Sharif about "Ali Baba and 40 chour" and how they are planning to recover the money from Zardari. With out it, there will be no "moving forward" but it will be more like continuation of "mufahimat kee policy" as claimed by PPP govt throughout their terms.
Secondly, how they are planning to handle power generation problems with out selling Govt assets and with out depending on foreign aid and loan.
On the sunniest day, 28 seats! With billions of rupees campaign and media support, expected better of PTI
It was 100% if there was no dhandlli... come on straight up your records
@faisal:
and N-League should be thankful to Zardari , who is constitutional president and best buddy of MR Sharif
no sane man can vote for PTI. this party is led by master of U Turn. he never sticks to his words.
I find it funny when people label Imran Khan as a foreign agent. What PMLN supporters don't seem to get is that the Nawaz Sharif is a bit too cozy with the Saudis more than any leader should be. It was no concidnce that Nawaz Sharif decided to "review" the Iran-Pakistan pipeline immediately after the elections ended and it won't be a concidence either when millions of dollars flow in from Saudi Arabia in the next few months as so called "aid" while in reality they will be used to fund madrassas which prach hate and violence.
@faisal: but when those electables joined PML-N, they left their votes in PTI and PML-N got the party votes.... Right???
Imran has still not formally given any statement that PTI will try to cooperate with federal government for the resolution of difficult issues of Pakistan. Imran does not possess sportsman spirit. He ha sno courage to accept the defeat. He has no courage to congratulate Nawaz Sharif on winning the elections. It was Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif who went to Shoukat Khanum Hospital to see Imran. But Imran still showed no flexibility. All of us have to solve the issues of Pakistan collectively. I dislike Imran due to his arrogance. He always used abusive language for other politicians.
Aik patrari sub per bhari. With patwari on ur side u can be President of any country.
@Umer: First check how many in your family voted for PTI then check if they also belong to establishment!
I am a PTI supporter and like the person above who made 4 posts from the same account with different names I am here to say that with 2 times the votes PMLN has 125 while PTI has 28, less than 25% of that. Rigging!
No hopes from PTI that is led by the most outspoken man.
7.7 million votes for PTI what a joke still after doing so much rigging in POSH AREAS they won only 28 seats i m sure 90% of these votes are bogus
Thanks to ALLAH who saved Pakistan from Tsunami. I love PML-N.
Is there a single day when ET does not have to write random things about pti? Even if story has no importance. Is ET owned by pti? I come here to read news and all I see are updates like this is the new fb for pti. ET is becoming boring now. Shifting to some credible news page. Sorry
If PTI won in the country, entire country would be a Dance Club. Thanks to Allah that PTI did not win in Pakistan.
It happened because of British money that is used for elections. I salute Pakistani Public that they rejected PTI in three provinces.
If we look at the election results, only electables of PTI won in Punjab. For example, Javed hashmi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Imran Khan, Rai Hassan Nawaz and Shafqat Mehmood. They got their personal votes in these constituencies. They have won the elections on the plateform of other parties as well in the past. THEN WHERE IS THE CHANGE? Old people with new dress. Is this change? No new and young candidate of PTI won election in Punjab. Where is change?
PTI should be grateful to Establishment and agencies who helped in giving new life to the party. Many electables came in the party in 2011 and 2012. These are the votes of those electables. These are not the votes of PTI.
Where's that 3.5 Crore young voter? :p
Accirding to the data released by ECP, PML(N) got 100% more votes than PTI.
I wish best of luck to PTI for next general election, which will be held after five years.
During this blank period of five years, PTI can do its homework properly, so that it should win in the next general election.
If only the election was fair, PTI would have won more seats. Still can't believe the results in Punjab.
14.9 million votes ...PML (N) votes ..ahahahaha ... Vote a joke Sir jee !!... #DonewithDeomocracy
The response I saw for 'bat' on the voting day was truly amazing, people literally were asking their relatives and family members to go and buy food and drinks in abundance for the people there to vote, without asking them whom they are voting for, so that no one goes home without voting. All that with their own money. And every single person was there to vote for PTI. I can safely say, had this election been not rigged, then the way IK used to say, 'we will clean sweep'. He literally would have.
Congratulations! People wanted change and people trusted PTI
55% turnout. A good 20-25% more than 2008. Do people really believe that these new voters came out for PML-N? Please. The turn out is not reflected in the results. Tsunami hamari aye par sweep Noon kar gaye, wah, logic check karo.
I am sure the no of seats would have been little bit more had there been a better Election Commission, headed by an active individual. See what happened to Jahangir Tareen.
With so much support from establishment this is no surprise.