Pakistan was thrown into a state of crisis on Friday with its election results still undeclared more than 24 hours after polling closed and the vote marred by widespread allegations of rigging.

Analysts and candidates widely questioned the integrity of the polls that took place on Thursday, raising concerns that there was an attempt to rig the vote to bring back the three-time former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and his Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to power.

As the day went on, both PML-N and PTI declared victory and there was a growing sense of frustration at the lack of clear results across the country, which is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its history.

At his party headquarters in Lahore, Sharif – who a few hours earlier had given a confident assurance of a simple majority for the PML-N – was forced to cancel plans to give his victory speech, which had been pre-written.

From first-time voters to elderly women born before Pakistan was established, and from labourers to tech workers and lawyers, the overwhelming majority said they were voting for PTI, or as many put it, giving their full backing to Khan.

In NA-47, the central Islamabad constituency visited by the Guardian on polling day, the PTI candidate Shoaib Shaheen said officials had declared him a clear winner on Thursday night with a majority of more than 50,000 votes.

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