Pakistan army chief calls for calm as both ex-PMs claim election victory

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Pakistan's army chief has called for calm in the country, and has urged the population to leave "anarchy and polarisation" behind as two ex-Prime Ministers claim victory in the recent elections.

Most results have been counted in Pakistan's election, and independent candidates linked to jailed Imran Khan have won the most seats. In Pakistan, independent candidates can choose their party after being voted in.

However, Nawaz Sharif, another ex-Prime Minister, who seems to have the backing of the Pakistan army, has urged others to join him in a coalition. He has acknowledged his party doesn't have enough seats to govern alone, but insisted he could head a coalition.

About 100 of the wining candidates are independents and all but eight of them are backed by the PTI, the non-profit Free and Fair Election Network said. These eight are likely to join PTI now.

Sharif's PML-N party won 71 seats and the PPP party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated PM Benazir Bhutto, got 53. The rest were won by smaller parties and independents.

Khan released an AI-generated video message that has rejected his rival's claim of victory, and has called on supporters to celebrate their win. He is currently in jail on charges linked to leaking state secrets, corruption, and an unlawful marriage.

The Pakistan elections have been marred by violence and claims of unfairness. On election day, the government decided to suspend mobile phone services, with opposition members claiming they wanted a blackout to suppress the many Pakistanis ability to find their correct voting stations.

On the day, at least seven security officers were killed in two separate attacks targeting election security, and 13 others were killed in the same blasts. The day before, a deadly bomb targeted politicians.

Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said he had "serious concerns" about the election, raising questions "about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections". Pakistan's foreign ministry rejected this as "not even factual".

It could be a while before anyone is able to claim outright victory.