The party claims to be in a strong position after winning 170 National Assembly seats out of the 265 contested.

Pakistan Elections: “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan will decide who will be the next Prime Minister of Pakistan,” said PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar on Saturday as the party claims to be in a strong position after winning 170 National Assembly seats out of the 265 contested in the general elections held in Pakistan on February 8, The Express Tribune reported.

“Imran Khan will decide who will be the next Prime Minister. He is the leader, whether he is in jail or outside,” Gohar said while addressing a press conference here in Islamabad, according to the report.

The party claims to be in a strong position after winning 170 National Assembly seats out of the 265 contested. “Out of these, 94 are those whom the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is admitting and has issued Form-47 to,” Gohar said, adding that on 22 other seats where PTI had won, the victory was “converted to a defeat”, Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan’s general elections have been the most fraught in recent years, with ex-Prime minister Imran Khan jailed and his arch-rival Nawaz Sharif appearing to be the favourite of the powerful military-led establishment.

Early results show Khan’s anointed candidates faring better than expected, after a polarised campaign rife with accusations of rigging and still with no clear winner, The Express Tribune reported.

Earlier on Friday, the three-time prime minister of Pakistan and the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that his party emerged as the single-largest party and wants to lead the country to prosperity while developing peaceful relations with the neighbouring countries.

“I can see the spark of happiness in your eyes. This spark is asking for mending an ‘injured’ Pakistan. It is calling for development to transform Pakistan into a beautiful country,” said Sharif while addressing a huge rally in Lahore on Friday as he vowed to develop schools and hospitals in the country and work towards combating inflation and unemployment in the crisis-stricken country.

“We have to do such work that no one should feel the pain while paying the electricity, gas bills, or while purchasing petrol, diesel, paying the school fees. There should be employment for the people. We will distribute laptops for students, build schools and toilets, and give free medicines in hospitals,” Sharif said.

In a veiled reference to India, Sharif also vowed that he wants peaceful relations with everyone, including the neighbours.

“The light will return, unemployment will be eradicated, and the poor will be able to. The country’s situation will improve. And we want our relations to remain good with the world as well as with our neighbours. We will improve our relations with them and resolve our differences,” he added.

He urged his cadre and party leaders to work with devotion and resolve the issues of their people.

Nawaz Sharif won from the NA-130 constituency in Lahore with 1,71,024 votes. However, in a major upset, he lost in the NA-15 constituency in Mansehra against PTI-backed independent Gustasap Khan, according to ARY News.

(With ANI inputs)