Pakistan Elections Trend Shows Tide Against Musharraf

Initial results in Pakistan’s general elections today went against President Pervez Musharraf with several of his former ministers losing. While opposition PPP (the late Benazir Bhutto’s party) and PML-N (led by Nawaz Sharif) winning in their strongholds, Sindh and Punjab, respectively. The final Pakistan election results are expected by Wednesday.

Here is The Tribune news story…

The Times of India reports: “Pakistan’s ruling party conceded that the Opposition was doing well in Monday’s parliamentary elections. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the outgoing railways minister, lost seats in the party’s stronghold in Punjab province. Both men are close political allies of President Pervez Musharraf.

“People have given their verdict. We respect it. We congratulate the PML-N and PPP. They have done well,” said PML-Q spokesman Tariq Azeem, referring to the Opposition parties of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and another ex-premier, Nawaz Sharif. “As far as we are concerned, we will be willing to sit on Opposition benches if final results prove that we have lost. This is the trend.”

Prominent figures in Pakistani political parties often run for multiple seats to boost their chances of victory. The TV reports said Nawaz Sharif’s party defeated Ahmed, the railways minister, in both seats he contested in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Here is the detailed Associated Press report…

(Photo courtesy Pakistan Times)