Pakistan polls show Imran Khan as front runner, ruling party rejects vote
Pakistan polls show Imran Khan as front runner, ruling party rejects vote
New fears have emerge that political instability could return to Pakistan after outlier Imran Khan was touted to win Wednesday's elections.
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Khan supporters have been celebrating early signs of victory [AFP]
Pakistan's polls late Wednesday tipped cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan to win national elections, with the country's current party crying foul.
Early poll results showed that Khan will likely be the country's next prime minister, but Pakistan's Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have already claimed election rigging.
"Today what they have done has pushed Pakistan back 30 years... We reject this result," Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of Pakistan's jailed ex-leader Nawaz Sharif said.
One fifth of the votes have been counted so far, suggesting Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will be clear winners.
Sharif has accused the army of aiding Khan and that this is the "dirtiest" ever election in Pakistan.
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have also claimed rigging.
Early poll results showed that Khan will likely be the country's next prime minister, but Pakistan's Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have already claimed election rigging.
"Today what they have done has pushed Pakistan back 30 years... We reject this result," Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of Pakistan's jailed ex-leader Nawaz Sharif said.
One fifth of the votes have been counted so far, suggesting Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will be clear winners.
Sharif has accused the army of aiding Khan and that this is the "dirtiest" ever election in Pakistan.
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have also claimed rigging.
"My candidates complaining polling agents have been thrown out of polling stations across the country," tweeted PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. "Inexcusable & outrageous."
The voting came after the Islamic State group launched another bomb attack in Quetta killing at least 31 people and cast a shadow over voting day.
An earlier bombing of a rally in Quetta claimed by IS killed 153 people.
An earlier bombing of a rally in Quetta claimed by IS killed 153 people.
Gallup Pakistan estimated turnout at between 50 to 55 percent in an electorate of nearly 106 million, similar to the previous contest in 2013.
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