Pakistan's army chief calls for 'political maturity' amid hung mandate

Pakistan's army chief has asked feuding politicians to show "maturity and unity" after an election failed to produce a clear winner, leaving the parties to cobble together a coalition to rule.

"Elections are not a zero-sum competition of winning and losing but an exercise to determine the mandate of the people," Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir said in a statement released by the military on Saturday.

"As the people of Pakistan have reposed their combined trust in the Constitution of Pakistan, it is now incumbent upon all political parties to reciprocate the same with political maturity and unity," he said.

"The nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people." he added.

The South Asian country faces days of political horse-trading after a strong performance by independent candidates loyal to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan scuppered the chances of the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from winning a ruling majority.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) defied a months-long crackdown that crippled campaigning and forced candidates to run as independents with a combined showing that still challenged their rivals.

'Recount our votes!'

Most of the seats won by PTI were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where police said at least two PTI supporters were killed on Friday and more than 20 wounded when they protested against alleged vote-rigging in Shangla district the first serious post-election violence reported.

Khan was barred from contesting the election after being handed several lengthy prison sentences in the days leading up to the vote.

"PTI as a party and political group, despite significant efforts by the civilian and military establishment, has held on to its vote bank," said Bilal Gilani, executive director of polling group Gallup Pakistan.

Khan was convicted last week of treason, graft and having an un-Islamic marriage in three separate trials among nearly 200 cases brought against him since being ousted.

The Free and Fair Election Network gave the election commission a generally positive report card for how it conducted the vote but said the delay in announcing results "overshadowed an otherwise orderly election", raising questions about the outcome.