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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Asha Bhosle's last rites to be held with state honours in Mumbai's Shivaji Park
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Mumbai (PTI): The last rites of legendary singer Asha Bhosle will be performed at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Monday afternoon with state honours.
The 92-year-old singer who ruled Bollywood for over seven decades with her wide range of memorable songs passed away on Sunday due to multi-organ failure at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.
Later, her mortal remains were brought to her residence in Lower Parel.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid last respects to Bhosle at her residence on Sunday evening and offered floral tributes.
State Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, along with legislators Sunil Shinde and Prasad Lad, also paid their respects.
"Asha Bhosle will be accorded a state funeral, which will take place at 4 pm on April 13," Shelar said.
The singer's son, Anand, said people can pay their last respects to her at 11 am on Monday at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived.
"Her last rites will be performed at 4 pm on Monday at Shivaji Park," he told reporters.
Ashatai, as the legendary singer was popularly known, was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and Maharashtra Bhushan awards.
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