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Pakistan election: Imran Khan’s party wants to form government, threatens protests

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Candidates backed by the party of jailed Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan plan to form a government, a senior aide to the former prime minister said on Saturday, urging supporters to peacefully protest if final election results are not released.

The nation of 241 million people voted on Thursday in a general election, as the country struggles to recover from an economic crisis and battles militant violence in a deeply polarised political environment, Reuters reported.

Both Khan and his main rival, three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, declared victory on Friday, increasing uncertainty over who will form the next government at a time when swift policy action is needed to address multiple challenges.

Gohar Khan, the chairman of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) party who also acts as the former prime minister's lawyer, called on "all institutions" in Pakistan to respect his party's mandate.

At a press conference, he said if complete results of the polls were not released by Saturday night, the party would hold peaceful protests on Sunday outside government offices returning election results around the country.

Hundreds of Khan's supporters rallied in the northwestern city of Peshawar led by two of his aides who said they had been declared losers despite having won the polls.

"We never expected it would happen to us," said Taimur Khan Jhagra, one of Khan's former provincial ministers.

The protesters chanted slogans against what they called a vote fraud.

Sharif said on Friday his party had emerged as the single largest group and would talk to other groups to form a coalition government.

By 5 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Saturday, results were still not in for 10 of the 265 seats contested in the election - 48 hours after the polls closed.

The latest tally, posted on the election commission's website, showed independent candidates had won 100 seats, with Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) taking 72 seats.

At least 90 of the victorious independent candidates were backed by Khan and his party, a Reuters analysis showed - putting them well ahead of Sharif's party.

Khan's supporters were running as independents because they had been barred from contesting the polls under his party's electoral symbol by the election commission for not complying with electoral laws.

Despite the ban and Khan's imprisonment for convictions on charges ranging from leaking state secrets to corruption to an unlawful marriage, millions of the former cricketer's supporters came out to vote for him, even though he cannot be part of any government while he remains in prison.

However, under Pakistan's electoral laws, independent candidates are not eligible to be allocated reserved seats, 70 of which are meant to be distributed according to party strength. Sharif's party could get up to 20 of these seats.

Khan's close aide and media adviser, Zulfi Bukhari, told Reuters the party would announce within the next day the party banner they will ask independents to join. In Pakistan, independent candidates cannot form a government on their own and need to join a party.

"And we have no fear of independents going anywhere, because these are the people who have struggled for the last 18 months and endured all kinds of torture and oppression," Bukhari told Reuters in a WhatsApp voice message.

Whoever seeks to form the next government would need support from other parties with no one close to the seat threshold for a simple majority in parliament.

Beside Khan and Sharif, the Pakistan Peoples Party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated premier Benazir Bhutto, remains a major player with at least 53 seats.

The rest were won by small parties and other independents. This sets up a period of intense political negotiations over the next few days before a parliamentary vote to elect a new prime minister and government can take place.

"No one can form a government without us," Bhutto Zardari told local Geo TV.

'STABLE HANDS'

Pakistan's army chief congratulated the country on Saturday for the "successful conduct" of the election, saying the nation needed "stable hands" to move on from the politics of "anarchy and polarisation".

The military remains the country's most powerful institution and has for decades had a huge role in making and breaking governments. Khan accuses the military of a crackdown on him and his party. The military denies this.

From jail, Khan released an audio-visual message created with artificial intelligence rather than having a statement read out by his lawyers, as is usually the case, in which he rejected Sharif's claim to victory.

In the message posted on social media platform X, he called on his supporters to celebrate what he called a win that had been achieved despite a crackdown on his party and alleged poll rigging to limit the success of PTI-backed candidates.

The United States, Britain and the European Union on Friday each expressed concerns about the electoral process, urging a probe into reported irregularities.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron cited "serious concerns" that raised questions "about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections".

Pakistan's foreign office responded to the comments on Saturday, saying they ignored the "undeniable fact" that the election had been successfully conducted.

"It is our hope that the process will be concluded effectively and it will reflect the will of the people," said former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is leading the Commonwealth team to observe the voting.

Jonathan called on those with grievances over the election to raise them in line with the laws of Pakistan.

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Iran leader Khamenei meets top Hamas leaders in Tehran, state TV says

The delegation, which also included Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas’ leadership council, and top Hamas official Nizar Awadallah, presented Khamenei a report on the current situation in Gaza.

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with acting Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and two other leaders of the Palestinian group in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian state TV reported.

"You defeated the Zionist regime [Israel], which was in fact America's defeat," Khamenei, whose country supports Hamas in its war with Israel, told the Palestinian delegation. "You did not allow them to achieve any of their goals."

Iranian TV said the Palestinian leaders were in Tehran to congratulate Khamenei on the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution. They expressed gratitude for Iran's continued support.

The delegation, which also included Mohammad Darwish, head of Hamas' leadership council, and top Hamas official Nizar Awadallah, presented Khamenei a report on the current situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and "the victories and successes that were achieved".

"We come to meet with you today with pride," the TV quoted al-Hayya as telling Khamenei.

Khamenei said U.S. threats against Iran "have no effect on the mindset of our nation," the Iranian media said.

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China urges Panama to ‘make right decision’ after announcing Belt and Road exit

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China expressed regret on Saturday over Panama's intention to leave Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, urging the Latin American nation to "make the right decision".

Assistant Foreign Minister Zhao Zhuyuan met Panama's ambassador to China and lodged solemn representations, the foreign ministry said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Zhao said Beijing deeply regrets Panama's decision and that the move was "not in the vital interests of Panama", it said.

"It is hoped that Panama will eliminate external interference and make the right decision based on the overall situation of bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples," the statement said.

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Iran’s Khamenei says experience proves talks with US ‘not smart’

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday experience had proven that talks with the United States are "not smart, wise or honorable", the official IRNA news agency reported.

This week U.S. President Donald Trump said he would like to start working on a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran after restoring his maximum pressure campaign on the country, Reuters reported.

During his previous term in office in 2018, Trump pulled the United States out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

The harsh measures prompted Tehran to violate the pact's nuclear limitations.

"Negotiating with America is neither smart, wise, or honorable. It will not solve any of our problems. The reason? Experience!" Khamenei was quoted as saying.

Iran had reached its agreement with the U.S. and other countries after two years of talks, he said, but the Americans did not adhere to it despite Iran's many concessions. "The person in charge tore it up," said Khamenei, referring to Trump.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran was ready to give the United States a chance to resolve disputes.

Khamenei said Iran would retaliate in kind if the Americans attacked Iran. "If they threaten our security, we will threaten theirs. If they act on their threats, we will do the same."

Referring to Trump's proposal to forcibly move Palestinian inhabitants from Gaza to neighboring Arab countries, Khamenei said:

"On paper, Americans are changing the world map. Of course it's only on paper because it's devoid of reality."

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