Nawaz Sharif declares victory in Pakistan's election, despite failing to win a majority of seats

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Pakistan's two leading figures in the national election have both declared victory underlining a chaotic campaign dominated by violence. Nawaz Sharif says his party has won but political allies of the imprisoned Imran Khan claim they have secured more seats overall.

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00:00 Nawaz Sharif has claimed victory in Pakistan's election, despite results not showing a clear

00:07 winner. Sharif will need to secure a coalition to govern. His party has won fewer seats than

00:16 his rival Imran Khan, whose political allies ran as independents. A coalition is no easy

00:27 task in a country this deeply divided. Two people were killed in riots over delayed voting

00:32 results. Many suspect that was a sign these elections are rigged and protests erupted

00:39 in areas with strong support for Khan-backed candidates. Sharif will need more than a dove

00:47 to find peace in Pakistan, as the country struggles with soaring inflation and an unstable

00:55 economy. Analysts have described this as one of Pakistan's least credible elections. An

01:02 internet shutdown, delays in polls and slow results have triggered suspicions of vote

01:07 rigging in favour of political parties backed by the country's powerful military. Just a

01:14 day before the election, at least 28 people were killed in bombings at political offices.

01:20 Authorities say they suspended mobile and internet services to maintain law and order.

01:26 Khan supporters worry this had a disproportionate impact on their tech-heavy campaign.

01:31 "I don't think Pakistan has ever seen the level of tyranny that people on the streets

01:37 have faced, but they are fighting back."

01:40 But many remained defiant, in spite of the blackout.

01:45 "We want people to elect candidates who will resolve all of our problems, who will do something

01:52 to improve our future."

01:55 In the midst of a difficult and deadly chapter in Pakistan's political history, people are

02:01 focused on making a better life for themselves.

02:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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