Imran Khan thanks people as trends show PTI ahead of PML-N and PPP

Islamabad: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was leading on 64 parliamentary seats on Wednesday evening while its main rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ahead on 46 seats in the initial round of the counting in an election marred by a deadly suicide attack and allegations of manipulations by the powerful military.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former President Asif Ali Zardari was leading on 28 seats, indicating that he could play a ‘kingmaker’ in case of a hung parliament, according to media reports. Independents were leading on 20 seats.
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) – an alliance of traditional religious parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan led by Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani and Tehreek-e-Jafaria led by Allama Sajid Naqvi – was leading on 11 seats.A party can only form the Government if it manages to clinch 172 seats in total.