Pakistan Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Markets hit as Independents lead polls

 The unexpected wins of independent candidates had a negative impact on markets. The nation’s dollar bonds fell with the bond maturing in 2051 down the most in seven months and the benchmark stock index declined 2%, the most in two months

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, has said he's discussing forming a coalition government. Nawaz Sharif did not disclose how many seats his party had won and counting was still underway in the last few of the 265 seats that went to the polls.

Addressing his party workers, Nawaz Sharif said, “We want our relations with the world to be better...We will improve our relations with them and resolve all our issues with them."

The counting is underway and the latest figures show his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) winning 42 seats, much below the 133 mark needed to stake claim to form a government.