In a highly controversial election, Pakistan is grappling with a period of uncertainty as the results reveal no clear majority. Political leaders Nawaz Sharif from Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) and Imran Khan from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) have both declared victory, further complicating the situation. With the full results of Thursday's elections yet to be announced for nine out of the 265 seats contested, the country eagerly awaits a clear outcome.

According to the latest tally on the election commission's website, independent candidates, mostly linked to PTI, have secured a significant lead with 102 seats. Sharif's PMLN is in the second position with 73 seats, closely followed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with 54 seats.

The disputed election has been described as one of the most controversial in Pakistan's history. Al Jazeera's correspondent, Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, stated that PTI's chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, is confident that his party will secure seats in the national parliament as well as in Punjab, where they claim to have a majority. PTI has also swept the polls in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Sharif, on the other hand, also claims victory and has expressed his intention to form a coalition government. Similarly, Zardari from PPP emphasizes that there cannot be a formation of a federal government, as well as in Punjab and Balochistan provinces, without his party's involvement.

The situation is further complicated by a split mandate among the prominent political powers. The big question now is who will be able to form a government in Pakistan, a country heavily burdened with political instability, an economy teetering on the brink of default, and rising internal security challenges.

Analyst Zaigham Khan explains that there are two possible scenarios after the announcement of preliminary results. The most likely scenario is a coalition government that includes all political parties except for PTI. This would comprise the two largest parties, PPP and PMLN, along with others like MQM and Jamaat-e-Islami. Meanwhile, the second scenario, deemed less likely but technically possible, is the formation of a government through a coalition between PPP and PTI, given the large number of PTI-affiliated independent candidates who have won seats.

As the nation anxiously awaits the final results, protests have erupted across the country for the second consecutive day, with demonstrators alleging that the delay in announcing the election results has allowed authorities to manipulate the vote-counting process. Social media platforms have also experienced disruption during polling, causing the PTI to condemn the interruption.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has received mixed assessments. The Free and Fair Election Network commended the commission for conducting orderly polls, while highlighting the overshadowing effect of result delays on the legitimacy of the outcome. Concerns about irregularities, interference, and fraud have been voiced by the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, urging a thorough investigation into these allegations.

Amidst the frustration and uncertainty among the Pakistani people, the head of the country's powerful army, General Syed Asim Munir, made his first public statement since the vote. He stressed the need for stability and a healing touch to move away from the politics of anarchy and polarization. He reminded the nation that elections are not simply about winning and losing, but about determining the people's mandate.

Senior fellow Ayesha Siddiqa from King's College London speculates that the army, hoping for a weak coalition under PMLN's leadership, may now back a coalition government involving PMLN and PPP. However, it remains uncertain who will lead this coalition, whether it be Bhutto Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif, or Nawaz Sharif.

With Pakistan still gripped by uncertainty, the nation eagerly awaits the official announcement of the final election results and the subsequent formation of a stable government to address the pressing challenges facing the country.