Early results show Khan leads Pakistan election marred by rigging claims

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN)Early results in Pakistan's violence-marred election show former cricketer Imran Khan with a clear lead amid claims by rival parties the poll had been "blatantly" rigged.

Shahbaz Sharif, brother of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said on Twitter there had been "massive rigging" in Khan's favor amid widespread allegations of military interference in the general elections.

"We will use all political and legal options for (redress) of these glaring excesses," he added.

The leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the late leader Benazir Bhutto, also took to Twitter to say he would reject the results over concerns of ballot rigging, saying it was "inexcusable (and) outrageous."

Khan looked set to become Prime Minister as projected partial results suggested his center-right Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, had exceeded expectations.

Partial results showed Khan's party is set to secure 106 seats in the 342 seat National Assembly, the state-run PTV reported. Sharif's PMLN (Pakistan Muslim League) is set to win 63 seats, PTV said, while the PPP will take 46 seats.

PTV's estimations are based on unofficial preliminary results released by Pakistan's Electoral Commission (ECP).

"The results, as they stand, are striking to say the least," said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the US-based Wilson Center.

"While a PTI victory was definitely a strong possibility, a victory by such a wide margin was unexpected and gives the PML-N and other losing parties more reason to allege electoral foul play."

Khan is due to address the nation on Thursday at 2 p.m. local time, his spokesman Naeem ul Haq said, "in celebration and recognition of the massive support received from the people of Pakistan."

Khan's supporters were already celebrating in the streets of Lahore and Islamabad, dancing and waving flags bearing his image.

Security was ramped up outside Khan's residence in the capital, said Najeeb Ur Rehman Bugvi, senior superintendent of police.

Supporters of Pakistan's cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan celebrate in Rawalpindi on July 25, 2018.

Violence overshadows polls

Wednesday's vote, which is only the second democratic transition in Pakistan's 71-year history, was overshadowed by growing fears of political instability, hundreds of arrests and terrorist attacks.

A bomb attack outside a polling station in the city of Quetta killed at least 31 people and injured dozens more as Pakistanis voted in the fiercely contested general election.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but CNN could not verify this assertion.

Khan, who has presented himself as a "change" candidate bent on building a "New Pakistan," condemned the Quetta blast, saying in a tweet that "enemies of (Pakistan are) seeking to disrupt our democratic process."

The bombing was the latest in a series of deadly attacks that have blighted the campaign. A suicide bombing in the same province earlier this month killed 150 people and led to suggestions the election should be delayed.

Army officials said that more than 370,000 troops had been deployed to ensure a "fair and free" election, with police estimating the total security force at 800,000 personnel -- backed up by flying surveillance drones in some areas.

Pakistani volunteers and security officers visit the site of the bombing Wednesday in Quetta.

The run-up to Wednesday's vote was dogged by increasing tensions over allegations that the powerful military had secretly backed Khan, a massive crackdown on the media and the electoral participation of militant groups.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed "serious reservations about the extraordinary powers accorded to security forces" and called the election "the dirtiest" in the country's history.

Leaders of almost every political party except Khan's have alleged vote rigging, with some claiming their monitors did not receive final tallies or were asked to leave polling stations before tallying was finished. They also raised questions over why the results had been delayed.

Election Commission of Pakistan Secretary Babar Yaqoob rejected the claims, saying in a statement that polling agents whose parties were not performing well were leaving the stations without taking the forms.

News Courtesy: www.cnn.com