Former cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan has promised to build a “new” Pakistan as he stated victory in the country’s quarrelled election.
The leader of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party gave a live-televised address, a day after tens of millions of people cast their ballots in an election marred by violence.
The leader of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party gave a live-televised address, a day after tens of millions of people cast their ballots in an election marred by violence.
An official result has not yet been broadcasted following delays in counting and allegations of vote rigging.
Mr Khan said, “We were successful and we were given a mandate”
“All our policies will be focused on bringing up the poorest segment of society.
“No political leader has ever been a victim of as many personal attacks as I have over the last few years but our mission is much bigger than me.
“I say to the people of this country today: we will govern Pakistan like it has never been governed before.”
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the party of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has called the count an “assault on democracy” in a country which has a history of military rule.
Mr Sharif’s brother Shehbaz, who leads the party, rejected the vote, calling it “sheer rigging”.
“The way the people’s mandate has blatantly been insulted, it is intolerable,” he said.
“We totally reject this result. It is a big shock to Pakistan’s democratic process.”
In his speech, Mr Khan said: “If parties are saying there has been vote rigging, they should name the polling stations and we will open an investigation.”
After a suicide bombing outside a polling station in Quetta on Wednesday The election was hit by violence that killed at least 31 people – including five policeman and two children.
Terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
