In an extraordinary turn of events independent candidates endorsed by and affiliated with the incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have won the most number of seats in the National Assembly where 169 seats are needed to form a clean majority government. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, until recently on the run from a corruption-related case, returned to contest but does not seem to have been given anything approaching a mandate, although his Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Party (PMLN) is turning out to be the largest single party.
To understand the election’s aftermath Mayank Chhaya Reports spoke to Beena Sarwar, a well-known Pakistani journalist, documentary filmmaker, peace activist and political analyst from Lahore.