22:17 – Pakistan: Several political parties contest Imran Khan's victory

Political parties on Friday rejected Imran Khan's victory in the Pakistani legislative elections, announcing protests and demanding a new vote, while foreign observers evoke "restrictions on freedom of expression"

"We think that a theft was committed, "said one of the leaders of the rallying party, Mullah Fazalur Rehman, after a meeting of a dozen parties in Islamabad.

Among these formations is the PML -N Shahbaz Sharif, in power for the past five years, and who denounced Wednesday, the polling day, "blatant fraud" bringing "Pakistan 30 years back". The party considers itself victim of a conspiracy of the Pakistani army and justice to oust it from power.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, dismissed in July 2017 for corruption, was sentenced to ten years in prison and detained less than two weeks before the election.

The election campaign itself has been portrayed by some observers as one of the "dirtiest" in the country's history because of alleged manipulation by the Pakistani army in favor of Mr. Khan.

"We do not even want to give them the right to rule after this election.We have agreed to demand new elections," said Fazalur Rehman .

"We will block the road of these thieves and robbers if they are going to Parliament, "said the leader of a small religious party, stressing that the" survival of democracy "in the country was at stake.

Leader of the Pakistan People's Party ( PPP), Bilawal Bhutto, third in the ballot, and absent at this meeting, announced soon after that he also rejected the results of the election.

The son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, murdered in 2007, however, indicated that it would seek to convince other political parties to participate in the parliamentary process.

– Freedom of Expression –

These statements come as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan's party, won the poll securing at least 114 seats in Parliament, far ahead of rivals, according to partial results released Friday by the Pakistan Election Commission (PEC).

But the EU observation mission reported "restrictions on freedom of expression ", a" notable lack of equality and opportunity in elections "and considered that this electoral process was" not up to par "in the last legislative elections in 2013.

" The most interlocutors (have) acknowledged a systematic effort to undermine (PML-N) corruption, contempt of court or terrorism charges, "she noted.

Washington shares the conclusions of the European observers said the State Department that "positive developments in the legal framework are overshadowed" in particular by "a notable lack of equality and opportunity in elections."

The United States, at the head of the NATO mission in neighboring Afghanistan, share the findings of European observers, and expressed "concerns about irregularities" that have stained the election campaign, said the State Department.

Despite these reservations, Washington says it is ready to work with the future government from the polls

Analysts had warned of risks of instability that could result from an irregular vote and the disputed results.

"No one can govern effectively when half of the country believes you were installed as a result of manipulation of the army and justice rather than the vote of the people," former diplomat Hussain Haqqani said.

"The problem is that the military took on such a central role on the day of the vote and that party accusations include the fact that their electoral agents were expelled from polling stations," adds badyst Azeema Cheema, questioned by AFP

– "New Pakistan" –

Although better than expected, the result of the party of Imran Khan, suspected of having received the tacit support of the army, will allow him not to obtain the majority (137 seats) necessary for the formation of a government. So he had to look for allies among the independent deputies or form a coalition with other parties.

"We succeeded, we were given a mandate," he said Thursday in his victory speech, praising the "fairest and most transparent" elections in the country's history

Promising the advent of a "new Pakistan", he pledged to fight corruption and poverty. He also promised to work on "balanced relations" with the United States and said he was ready to discuss the thorny Kashmir conflict with India.

But the future government will face problems In 1965, Shahbaz Sharif's PML-N won 63 seats at this stage and the Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari PPP 43, the Commission said.