Pak elections: No clear victor in sight as vote counting process nears completion
Islamabad (PTI): No clear victor has emerged from the divisive elections in Pakistan as the tardy vote-counting process neared completion on Saturday, indicating that the elusive political stability for the cash-strapped country may still be a distant dream.
The general elections were held on Thursday and the counting began soon after the polling ended at 5 pm with the hope that the majority of 265 contested seats would be available by Friday morning.
However, the announcement of results was delayed beyond normal, giving air to speculation about vote rigging.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, so far, the counting in 250 seats of the National Assembly has been completed and the independent candidates, a vast majority of them backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, were on the top with 99 seats.
The group was followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 71 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 53, Muttahida Qaumi Movement with 17 and other seats going to smaller parties.
Though elected with the support of Khan's party, the independents can join any party, which is a potential source of instability, as they can also switch loyalties in future.
The PML-N's chief Nawaz Sharif on Friday evening announced that he was beginning consultations to form a kind of unity government but it may take several days before the shape of a future set-up comes up.
The PPP of former president Asif Ali Zardari already announced during elections that his young son and party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be the candidate for the prime minister's post, whereas Sharif is keen to become the premier for the record fourth time.
The PTI leadership is going to begin internal consultations from Saturday to decide which party its supported elected representative should join.
They may join a smaller party which would become the largest party to counter Sharif's claim that PML-N was the largest and had the right to form the government.
It is believed that the situation would remain fluid for a few days until the independents decide their future.
But one thing is clear: the government would be a hotchpotch of various parties, which would put more strain on the country rather than providing a cohesive force to make difficult decisions in the cash-strapped nation.
Last year, the country narrowly averted a default when the International Monetary Fund provided a USD 3 billion short-term loan.
Economic experts believe that the new government would need an urgent new IMF programme on more stringent conditions.
The situation in the four provinces is more stable as PML-N is the largest party in Punjab with 131 seats out of 296 contested, the PPP in Sindh with 84 out of 130 seats and the independent swept the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with 90 eats out of 113 contested seats.
In Balochistan, a coalition government is expected as PPP got 11 seats and PML-N followed with 9 out of a total of 51 contested seats.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
