By Victoria Ojeme

Pakistan cricket legend turned opposition stalwart Imran Khan claimed victory Thursday in the country’s tense elections, following accusations of poll rigging by rival parties.

“We were successful and we were given a mandate,” Khan said during a live broadcast, adding there was “no politician victimisation” in the contest.

Results were still being tallied Thursday, hours after Khan’s supporters took to the streets to celebrate winning an election that opponents have said the powerful military rigged in his favour.

The unprecedented delay, along with a surprisingly strong lead in early results for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, have fuelled widespread fears over the legitimacy of the exercise.

By Thursday partial, unofficial results gave him at least 100 seats so far in the National Assembly, the lower house.

A majority of 137 seats is needed to form a government.

Election authorities have not yet confirmed when they expect to announce the results.

Some reports suggested it would not be until Thursday evening at the earliest.

The short but acrimonious campaign season largely boiled down to a two-way race between Khan’s PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, whose brother Shahbaz is leading its campaign.

Sharif was ousted from power last year and jailed over a corruption conviction days before the vote, removing Khan’s most dangerous rival.

In a statement Khomeini Bukhari, a British Pakistani who resides in Nigeria and is the Director of Africa Peel Aston Global said, “Imran Khan is the Muhammudu Buhari Pakistan has been long awaiting. A person like Imran Khan winning is the surety we were looking for that Pakistan will now have a very bright future”.