Memphis Barker in Islamabad, London, 27 Jul 2018<\/p>\n
Observers noted \u2018systematic attempts to undermine ruling party\u2019 ahead of disputed vote<\/em><\/p>\n The EU has piled further pressure on Pakistan\u2019s likely next prime minister, Imran Khan, after his country\u2019s disputed general election<\/a>, noting a \u201clack of equality of opportunity\u201d and \u201csystematic attempts to undermine the ruling party\u201d ahead of the vote.<\/p>\n Michael Gahler, chief of the European Union<\/a> election observer mission, told a press conference in Islamabad that his 120-strong team observed no rigging on election day \u2013 but in serious criticisms that will cast a shadow over the formation of the new Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by the former international cricketer, Gahler said that pressure on the media, \u201cfar stronger\u201d efforts than usual to encourage switching parties and \u201cjudicial conduct\u201d had all negatively influenced the vote.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have concluded there was a lack of equality of opportunity,\u201d he said, adding that the overall process was \u201cnot as good\u201d as in 2013.<\/p>\n The Pakistan<\/a> Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party had complained that its election chances were badly hurt long before polling got under way. More than 30 of its candidates left the party during the campaign and many alleged privately that they had been pressured by Pakistan\u2019s ISI spy agency.<\/p>\n After a meeting of six opposition parties on Friday Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, leader of the PML-N, said he would decide on Sunday whether or not to boycott parliament, stopping short of endorsing a demand for a re-election raised by five other smaller parties.<\/p>\n The meeting was called to discuss opposition party leaders\u2019 response after all claimed the vote had been rigged and that their polling agents \u2013 workers who keep an eye on the count \u2013 had been evicted from ballot booths by security officials.<\/p>\n Sharif said he would discuss the call to reject the result with party leadership.<\/p>\n In his speech, Gahler advised all parties to pursue rigging allegations through legal channels, saying that his team, which visited 582 of 85,000 polling stations, had seen no evidence of military interference.<\/p>\n The PTI enjoyed success across the country, official results showed on Friday. With two seats left to count, more than a day after the result was due, the PTI had won 117 seats in the national assembly, the PML-N had taken 64 and the Pakistan People\u2019s party 43.<\/p>\n Khan will still need to form a coalition to become prime minister, which requires at least 137 seats, but a single party winning contests across the country \u2013 in the north, south and in Punjab \u2013 is rare in Pakistani politics.<\/p>\n The ease with which the PTI can implement its policy agenda also received a significant boost from its strong performance in state-level elections.<\/p>\n As well as forming the federal government, the PTI\u2019s capture of 118 seats in the provincial assembly of Punjab, the largest and wealthiest province, means it has a good chance of evicting the PML-N from the state government there, a stronghold that its leadership had been desperate to protect.<\/p>\n The Election Commission of Pakistan said turnout had dropped to 52%, a fall of two points on 2013. This had been expected following a low-energy campaign beset by allegations that the military was seeking to hobble the PML-N.<\/p>\n