Islamabad: The prospect of a hung Parliament looms large as Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), a party favouring President Pervez Musharraf, was poised to emerge as the single largest, winning 76 seats as counting was completed for 265 of the 272-seat National Assembly.

The Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarian (PPPP), headed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto followed close by winning 63 seats, according to results announced on October 12 by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The counting is still continuing.

The Muthida Majlis Amal (MMA), an alliance of six religious parties, emerged as the third largest party with 44 seats,

MMA has already bagged majority in Provincial Assemblies of NWFP and Baluchistan where it was set to form Provincial governments.

The PML-Q notched the top slot by winning 76 seats contrary to pre-poll projections which said PPPP would emerge as the single largest party. The slow pace of counting which began in the evening of October 10 soon after the polling prompted the PPPP and other political parties to allege that the government resorted to rigging during the polls.

Besides the PML-Q, PPPP and MMA, the independents have emerged as the fourth largest force by bagging 28 seats.

However under the new law brought in by Musharraf, the independent candidates will have to join political parties of their choice with in three days after their election.

A majority of them were expected to join the government-backed PML-Q.

PTI