Nawaz Sharif declares victory after Pak votes in historic election

Unofficial trends broadcast by television channels showed a clear early lead for Nawaz Sharif’s PML (N) in the National Assembly,followed by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Around midnight India time,Geo News was showing victories and leads at 115 seats for the PML (N),and at 38 for the PTI.

President Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) seemed headed for a comprehensive defeat,having won or leading at only 35 seats. Independents were leading at 22,JUI at 11,MQM at 9,PML(Q) at 5 and Jamaat-e-Islami at 3 seats,Geo News said.

Nawaz Sharif appeared on the roof of his party’s headquarters in Model Town and addressed thousands of his singing,dancing supporters. “It has been confirmed that the PML (N) will emerge as the single largest party,” he said. “People should pray that tomorrow the Muslim League (N) is able to form the government without crutches. Please pray that we do not need anyone’s help to form the government.”

In what was,however,a significant outreach to political parties other than the PTI and PPP whose help the PML (N) is likely to need to form the government,Sharif also said: “My brother,my party colleagues and I took a lot of abuses during the campaign,but I am willing to forgive all of that for the sake of the country. I appeal to everyone to come to the table — not for me,but for Pakistan.”

As crowds thronged Sharif’s jalsa,young men on thousands of motorcycles roared around the city,waving the flags of both the PML (N) and PTI. One incident of firing was reported in a clash between the two sides.

Earlier in the evening,the Pakistan Election Commission described the turnout as “massive” adding to the credibility of the momentous vote that marks the first transition between successive elected governments in a country where democracy has been regularly interrupted by military coups and dictatorships.

Soon after polls closed,Election Commission Secretary Ishtiyaq Ahmad Khan told reporters that polling had been free and fair across the country,and the commission expected a turnout of between 60 and 80 per cent.

Fourteen people had been killed by bombs targeting the Awami National Party in Karachi,Khan said. Four people were killed in Balochistan. A bomb exploded at a polling booth in Peshawar.

The province of Punjab,from where nearly half the National Assembly is elected and which determines the final results,was largely peaceful.

The day began early for Pakistanis,with voters stepping out at daybreak to gather at polling stations for the 8 am opening of the vote. There were festive congregations around the booths,and as the crowds outside swelled,the election commission decided to extend polling half an hour beyond its scheduled 5 pm close.

A large number of women were seen at polling stations in Lahore,many of whom expressed support for the PTI. At the American Lycetuff School in the Defence area,hundreds of men and women stood in separate queues to vote. “This is the first time that I am voting. I feel very good,” 35-year-old Ayesha Khwaja,a school administrator,said. “Our country has hit rock bottom and if we don’t rescue it from our corrupt and selfish politicians,there will be nothing left. They have eaten this country like moths.”

Khwaja was open about who would get her vote. “I will vote for Imran Khan. He has given people like me an option. If he wasn’t contesting,I would not have bothered to come out to vote,” she said. Half a dozen women standing around her nodded.

In the men’s queue a few yards away,bank employee Ali Ziyad,36,said,“Earlier,I didn’t feel there was a good option available,so I stayed away. This time is different. It’s do or die for us in Pakistan. We are at a crossroads. We have to participate in the system if we want to see change. I thought it was my responsibility to vote because otherwise I’d have no right to complain.”

According to Ziyad,the “total failure of governance” had forced Pakistanis to put their mere existence as “priority number one”. “You won’t hear people on issues like Kashmir or relations with India. That’s not the priority right now.”

Mohammad Hafeez,who runs a small stationery business,felt that the return of the army was a “very very remote” possibility. “However,you can’t wish them away. They have ruled this country for half of its life. And to completely take away their role and send them to the barracks will take another two generations of democracy with effective and efficient civilian governments.”

Hafeez predicted a victory for Sharif,but reckoned he would need support to form a government. “Parties must not take a rigid stand. We urgently need an economic policy,an energy policy and we need to set our house in order. There isn’t any time left.”

An unprecedented security lockdown shut out Shaukat Khanum Hospital where Imran Khan is recovering after a freak fall at an election meeting earlier this week,but both Nawaz Sharif and his brother,Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif,were seen roaming the city in motorcades,visiting polling stations.

During a break at the PML (N) headquarters,the brothers sat with their children and party leaders,discussing the situation. Shahbaz gave Nawaz the update: “PTI supporters came out in the morning in huge numbers,and even after voting,stayed back at booths waving bats (Imran’s election symbol). But by noon,our supporters started to come out in huge numbers. It is sher (tiger) everywhere now.”

A young party leader assured the Sharifs that Imran Khan’s Bisleri bottle aur chhatri wale (the bottled water and umbrella types) supporters were only pretending to have an upper hand.

Saeed Mehdi,who was Nawaz Sharif’s principal secretary when he was prime minister,handed his leader a detailed constituency-wise assessment he had made. The conclusion: between 125 and 130 seats for the PML (N) — short of majority in the 342-seat National Assembly,but within striking distance of power.

Nawaz Sharif listened silently. His daughter Maryam,herself a candidate,rolled prayer beads in her fingers,her eyes fixed on the TV.

Earlier in the afternoon,PML (N) spokesman Pervez Rashid told The Indian Express that a strong democracy in Pakistan would help build bridges with New Delhi and ensure peace in the region. “We saw what happened recently. The way the two countries acted was shameful,” he said,referring to the killings of Sarabjit Singh and Sanaullah Ranjay in jails in the respective countries. “Every time,an answer to a slap is not a slap. We will work for peace. We cannot change the past but we have shown that our intention is to be friends with India.” Rashid said.

He recalled that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had told Sharif in Lahore that he wanted 1999 to be the year when India and Pakistan resolved the Kashmir issue and moved on as friends. “We have no doubt that we want to pick up from there,from those times of bonhomie,” Rashid said.

As the night progressed,the raucous celebration of PML (N) supporters carried an unmistakable streak of realism. Fahad Ali,who voted Nawaz,said thoughtfully: “Imran has come as a correction in that he has drawn the right-wing vote into a less extremist basket. And even if Nawaz Sharif forms the new government,the PML (N) would never be able to take a chance with its performance. They have to work,and work very hard to stay in power.”

From the roof of his party headquarters,Sharif was making the same promise — that he would take Pakistan out its crisis,out of its “wretched loadshedding and unemployment”.