M A I N   N E W S

Party backing Pervez ahead

Supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League (QA) rejoice at a party office in Islamabad on Saturday after a successful general election saw their party garner a small but meaningful lead in the Pakistan's National Assembly. A party loyal to Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf emerged on top on Saturday after election designed to return the country to civilian rule, but the European Union dismissed the poll as seriously flawed. — Reuters photo

Islamabad, October 12
The prospect of a hung Parliament loomed large as the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) a party favouring President Pervez Musharraf, emerged as the single largest party, winning 77 seats as counting was completed for 268 of the 272-seat National Assembly.

The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP), headed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, followed close behind by winning 62 seats, according to results announced here today by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The Muthida Majlis Amal (MMA) — an alliance of six religious parties — emerged as the third largest party with 50 seats, The MMA has already bagged majority in provincial assemblies of the NWFP and Baluchistan, where it was set to form provincial governments.

The PML(Q) notched the top slot by winning 77 seats contrary to pre-poll projections which said the PPPP would emerge as the single largest party. The slow pace of counting which began in the evening of October 10 soon after the polling prompted the PPPP and other political parties to allege that the government resorted to rigging during the poll.

Besides the PML(Q), PPPP and MMA, the Independents have emerged as the fourth largest force by bagging 28 seats.

However, under the new law brought in by General Musharraf, the independent candidates will have to join political parties of their choice within three days after their election.

The Pakistan Muslim League headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, (PML(N), has won only 14 seats, most of them from Lahore district. The party has lost the rest of its ground in Punjab to the PML(Q). PTI, Reuters