Opposition parties win Pakistani election

Pakistan's ruling party conceded defeat to the opposition Tuesday in parliamentary elections that give the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto the most seats in the country's national assembly, but not enough to govern alone.

The private Geo TV network reported that the PPP and another one – the Pakistan Muslim League-N - led by another former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had so far won 153 seats, more than half of the 272-seat National Assembly.

It said the ruling party was a distant third with 38 seats and a number of party stalwarts and former Cabinet ministers lost in their constituencies.

The governing party was gracious in defeat. "We accept the election results, and will sit on opposition benches," Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q, told AP Television News. "We are accepting the results with grace and open heart."

The results could create a major headache for President Pervez Musharraf who came to power in 1999 in a military coup after outing the elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He was re-elected to a five-year term last October in a controversial vote and took office after handing over his military commander to his handpicked successor.

A coalition of all the opposition parties and independent candidates can muster the required two-thirds majority to impeach Musharraf.

The President has appealed for national unity and has vowed to work with all groups in the national interest. But Musharraf remains unpopular for his iron-fisted rule and his cozy relationship with the United States.

Last year he imposed emergency rule, fired prominent members of the country's Supreme Court and put severe restrictions on the independent media. His actions led to Pakistan's expulsion from the Commonwealth.

The White House said the Pakistani people have taken a major step towards full restoration of democracy, adding that it hopes Pakistan would continue cooperating with the United States on counter terrorism.

"At the end of the day, we hope that they continue to work with us as partners in counter terrorism," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One during President Bush's Africa tour.

"The threat from extremists is just as grave and very immediate for the people of Pakistan as evidenced by the violence there recently," she added.