DAWN, NATION, THE NEWS (Pakistan), BBC, THE GUARDIAN (UK)
ISLAMABAD – Following the contested Pakistani elections, marred by accusations of voter fraud, several candidates participated in nationwide sit-in protests Monday, writes The News.
Muslim League leader, Nawaz Sharif claimed victory in Saturday’s polls, but was short of a clear majority.
“There was total rigging. We are taking feedback from our candidates in the province and will present the evidence before the media soon,” secretary general of the Pakistan People’s Party, Sardar Latif Khosa told Dawn. The party, formerly headed by the late Benazir Bhutto, reportedly managed to only secure one seat in Parliament and are said to be meeting on Monday to discuss new leadership.
Although the final results are days away, projections by local television stations suggest that Sharif only requires the support of a handful of independent candidates, rather than rival parties, to secure a working majority in parliament, reports The Guardian.
Former cricketer Imran Khan, whose Movement for Justice Party (PTI) is in a close fight for second place, has promised to provide genuine opposition, says the BBC. He also added that his party was in process of collecting evidence of alleged vote-rigging.
Sharif has already been congratulated by many heads of state, including Barack Obama and neighboring Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Both have said they look forward to working with Sharif, writes Nation.
PM extends his congratulations to Mr. Nawaz Sharif and his party for their emphatic victory in Pakistan’s elections.
— Dr Manmohan Singh (@PMOIndia) May 12, 2013
