Imran Khan promises to rule Pakistan "as never before"

Old cricket star, Imran Khan declared victory in parliamentary elections in Pakistan and promised to run the country "as it has never been before" by fighting corruption, seeking regional cooperation and in New Relationship with the United States that was not "unilateral" ".

Television stations reported that Mr. Khan and his Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, maintained a lead vote on Wednesday.

But his main rival, Shahbaz Sharif, rejected the result, citing allegations of vote rigging

. The Pakistani electoral commission struggled with technical problems and had to return to a manual account, delaying the announcement of the final results until Friday.

This left much to be desired if the PTI would have a simple majority in the National Assembly or if it had to form a coalition government.

But that did not stop Mr. Khan from 65 years proclaiming his triumph in an address to the nation. , in which he pledged to create an Islamic welfare state to provide education and employment to the poor in order to fulfill an election promise to create 10 million jobs.

"Today before you, in front of the Pakistani people, I am committing I will lead Pakistan so that it has never been ruled," said Mr. Khan.

He vowed to eliminate corruption, strengthen the institutions that he described as dysfunctional and regain national pride by developing international relations based on

while Mr. Khan seemed relaxed and reconciling in his speech, his words were full of pbadion.

He said that the United States treated Pakistan as a mercenary, giving it billions of dollars to fight the war on terror in an area besieged by militant extremists

"Unfortunately, our relations were up to # 39, here unilateral America thinks that gives money to Pakistan to fight for them. "Pakistan has suffered a lot," said Mr. Khan, who criticized the conflict led by the states. In Afghanistan.

He offered nothing to suggest an improvement in the already tense relationship between Pakistan and Washington since President Donald Trump's tweets. January who accused Islamabad of taking help from the United States and only making lies and deception.

Seeking good relations with his neighbors, Mr. Khan addressed himself to Pakistan's rival, India.

The two nuclear powers had a long-standing conflict over the disputed Kashmir region.

"Take a step towards us and we will take two steps towards you," he said in an offer of peace while decrying human rights violations in Kashmir.

million. Khan also advocated an open border policy with Afghanistan, even suggesting that both countries adopt a "European Union" type of relationship.

The plan seems improbable, the Pakistani army already building hundreds of border outposts and an escort along its western border with Afghanistan, despite the Often violent opposition of Kabul

M. Khan focused on what he wanted to do for the poor in Pakistan and his vision of a country that did not bow down to anyone, where everyone was equal before the law. Campaign message of a new Pakistan seems to have found an echo among young voters in a country where 64% of the 200 million inhabitants are under 30 years old.

Khan said the elections were the most transparent and promised to investigate every complaint of impropriety that his opponents have presented.

"It's thanks to God (that) we won and we succeeded," he said.

More than a dozen projected television channels, the PTI would win up to 119 seats out of the 270 seats in the National Assembly that were disputed, although broadcasters did not. did not disclose their methodology.

The rest of the 342-seat parliament includes seats reserved for women and minorities.

The vote for two seats was postponed after one candidate died during the campaign and another was disqualified.

Although advocacy groups and minorities have expressed concerns before the vote on groups radical religious, moderate voices seemed to have prevailed: none of the 265 candidates presented by the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba won.

This includes the son of US-appointed co-founder and terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who has a US $ 10 million bonus on his head.

The candidates campaigned under the little-known Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek party because Lashkar-e-Taiba is banned.

Even if Mr. Khan's party wins a simple majority, he should wait for the president to summon parliament to swear in new politicians, traditionally in a week

. on the result of Mr. Sharif.

He heads the Pakistan Muslim League, the party of his older brother, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is in prison for corruption.

Television screenings give his party just 61 seats

The Younger Mr. Sharif tweeted that "our democratic process has been postponed for several decades," adding that "if the public mandate had been rendered equitably, we would have accepted it with pleasure."

complaints were also made by the Independent Commission on Human Rights that women were not allowed to vote in certain areas.

In other areas, he said that " Polling station staff appeared to be biased towards a certain party, "without further specifics.

In the days leading up to the elections, prominent activist IA Rehman called the campaign" dirtier " in the path bumpy of Pakistan towards sustained democracy

Analysts fear that discontented losers will create instability for the new government, which has to deal with a faltering economy, crushing debt and raging militancy. 19659004] The vote was tainted by a suicide bombing in the south-western city of Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan, which killed 31 people while waiting to vote.

A bomb attack in the same province earlier this month killed 149 people, including a candidate for the post.

Baluchistan has been hit by incessant attacks by secessionists in the province and Sunni militants who have killed hundreds of Shiites. 19659004] The election marked only the second time in the 71-year history of Pakistan that one civilian government ceded power to another.