LAHORE, Pakistan — The former prime minister of Pakistan expected his party would claim an easy victory in the country's parliamentary elections, sending him to the top job for a fourth time. Instead, Nawaz Sharif faces a difficult path to power.
Independent candidates backed by his imprisoned rival, Imran Khan, were leading in the vote count Friday, a surprisingly strong showing given assertions by Khan's supporters and a national rights body that the balloting was manipulated to favor Sharif.
