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The Latest: Pakistan officials reject charges of vote fraud

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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ISLAMABAD – The Latest on general elections held in Pakistan (all times local):

8:25 p.m.

Pakistan's elections oversight body has rejected allegations by a candidate for parliament that voting in national elections was rigged, saying the polls were held in a free and fair manner.

Babar Yaqoob, a top official at the Election Commission, said the turnout in Wednesday's vote was about 55 percent, slightly better than previous elections.

He dismissed allegations of rigging saying no candidate or political party had submitted any written complaint to the commission.

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5:15 p.m.

Cricket star turned politician Imran Khan has declared victory for his party in Pakistan's historic elections, promises a 'new' Pakistan.

Khan, who aspires to be the country's next prime minister, said in a televised address to the nation on Thursday that "thanks to God, we won and we were successful."

He added: "If God wills, we will set an example."

Pakistan's election commission has not yet released official, final results but Khan has maintained a commanding lead according to projections by many television stations, though it's unclear if he will have to form a collation government.

Khan's message of a "new" Pakistan resonated with young voters in a country where 64 per cent of its 200 million people are below the age of 30, according to a United Nations report.

More than a dozen TV channels in Pakistan, based on official but partial counts, are projecting — using their own, undisclosed methodologies — that Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is getting as many as 119 seats of the 270 National Assembly seats that were contested.

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10:30 a.m.

Pakistan's former cricket star Imran Khan and his party have maintained a commanding lead amid slow and tedious counting of ballots from a historic election the previous day that was marred by allegations of fraud and militant violence.

Election officials said an official count confirming Pakistan's next government was expected later in the evening on Thursday.

However, more than a dozen TV channels in Pakistan, based on official but partial counts, are projecting — using their own, undisclosed methodologies — that Khan is getting as many as 119 seats of the 270 parliament seats that were contested.

It still wasn't clear whether Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf would get a simple majority or have to form a coalition.