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Imran Khan's PTI 'wins revote' in tense Karachi | |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Imran Khan's party has won its first National Assembly seat in the Pakistani city of Karachi after a partial re-run of voting following rigging fears, unofficial results show. | |
The revote also saw the PTI take two provincial assembly seats, reports say. | |
The news came after Mr Khan blamed the murder of a senior party figure on Karachi's dominant party, the MQM, which has denied any involvement. | |
Thousands of MQM supporters rallied in the city to denounce Mr Khan. | |
The general elections on 11 May handed an emphatic victory to Mr Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. | |
They ensured that Mr Khan's party became Pakistan's third-largest electoral force. | |
The vote also marked the first transition of power between democratically elected governments since the creation of the state of Pakistan in 1947. | |
'Baseless' | |
On Monday, MQM protesters burned an effigy of Mr Khan, and attacked his character and Western lifestyle from his days as an international cricket star. | |
Khan supporters held a separate demonstration in the city. The party has urged the British government to take action against MQM leader Altaf Hussain. | |
He runs his party, and effectively Karachi, from his headquarters in north London where he has been based for more than two decades. | |
The election gave the MQM 16 out of 19 National Assembly seats in its stronghold, Karachi. | The election gave the MQM 16 out of 19 National Assembly seats in its stronghold, Karachi. |
Sunday's re-run took place amid tight security in 43 out of about 200 polling stations across Karachi's upmarket NA-250 constituency - the MQM boycotted the partial re-run. | Sunday's re-run took place amid tight security in 43 out of about 200 polling stations across Karachi's upmarket NA-250 constituency - the MQM boycotted the partial re-run. |
The latest results show that Dr Arif Alvi of the PTI polled 77,000 votes and that the MQM's Khushbakht Shujaat was the runner-up with more than 30,000 votes. | The latest results show that Dr Arif Alvi of the PTI polled 77,000 votes and that the MQM's Khushbakht Shujaat was the runner-up with more than 30,000 votes. |
Once confirmed, it will be the PTI's only National Assembly seat from Sindh province. | |
The party also appears to have won two provincial assembly seats from Karachi. Voting for these seats was also completed on Sunday. | The party also appears to have won two provincial assembly seats from Karachi. Voting for these seats was also completed on Sunday. |
Tensions peaked at the weekend over the killing of PTI vice-president, Zahra Shahid Hussain, who was shot dead outside her home by gunmen on a motorcycle. | |
Her funeral was on Sunday, the day repolling was held with a heavy police and army presence. | |
MQM spokesman Mohammad Anwar dismissed the accusations by Imran Khan, telling the BBC his comments were the "groundless, baseless" accusations of a man who had suffered a bitter, unexpected loss in the election and accused him in turn of behind the killing. | MQM spokesman Mohammad Anwar dismissed the accusations by Imran Khan, telling the BBC his comments were the "groundless, baseless" accusations of a man who had suffered a bitter, unexpected loss in the election and accused him in turn of behind the killing. |
The MQM (Muttahida Quami Movement) is supported mainly by Muslim Urdu-speaking people whose families moved to Sindh province at the time of the partition of India in 1947. | The MQM (Muttahida Quami Movement) is supported mainly by Muslim Urdu-speaking people whose families moved to Sindh province at the time of the partition of India in 1947. |
Correspondents say that the party is seen as a perpetrator - as well as a victim - of violence in Karachi. | Correspondents say that the party is seen as a perpetrator - as well as a victim - of violence in Karachi. |
Since the 1980s, it has won every election it has contested there. | Since the 1980s, it has won every election it has contested there. |
The projected victory for the PTI in this final assembly seat will not change the big picture in the city or in the country, correspondents say. | The projected victory for the PTI in this final assembly seat will not change the big picture in the city or in the country, correspondents say. |
However, it will give the PTI an influential foothold in Pakistan's commercial capital, something the MQM will see as a major setback, particularly after results show that the PTI got the most votes in the city after the MQM. | However, it will give the PTI an influential foothold in Pakistan's commercial capital, something the MQM will see as a major setback, particularly after results show that the PTI got the most votes in the city after the MQM. |