President Musharraf’s supporters conceded defeat last night in a landmark parliamentary election that could seal his political fate and resurrect democracy in Pakistan after eight years of military rule.

But while the two main opposition parties appeared to have swept the vote, neither was expected to win an outright majority, setting the stage for a coalition government in this chronically unstable country.

Despite 470,000 police and troops on the streets, turnout was only 30 to 40 per cent because of a wave of suicide attacks by Islamic militants since July, including one that killed Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister, on December 27. Voting was relatively peaceful given the security threat — although Ms Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) claimed 15 members were killed in an attempt to deter voters.

Final results are not expected until tomorrow, but preliminary figures suggest that the PPP will win the most seats followed by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by Nawaz Sharif, another former Prime Minister.

Bhutto was killed by bomb blast

The team from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command have backed the claim that Benazir Bhutto was not shot

Multimedia

• Pictures: death of Benazir Bhutto

• Pictures: Pakistan

BACKGROUND

• Pakistan in turmoil as ‘martial law’ imposed

• Bhutto escapes as bombers kill 126

• Timeline: Pakistan's period of turmoil

• The man out to oust a President

• Internal crisis gives Pakistan reason for hope

Related Links

• Analysis: Musharraf is finished and should quit

Multimedia

• In pictures: Pakistan at the polls

• Full coverage of Pakistan's elections

• Video: Pakistan goes to the polls

The PML (Q), which split from Mr Sharif’s party and supports President Musharraf, was lagging in third place with several of its leading figures — including the party’s leader — losing their seats. Tariq Azeem, a PML (Q) spokesman, said: “People have given their verdict. We respect it. We congratulate the PML (N) and PPP. As far as we are concerned, we will be willing to sit on opposition benches if final results prove that we have lost.”

The makeup of a coalition government will be negotiated in the next few days but a front-runner to be prime minister is Makhdoom Amin Fahim, 68, the PPP vice-chairman and veteran Bhutto loyalist.

The new government could then decide whether President Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999 and became a key US ally in the War on Terror, should be impeached for imposing emergency rule last year to secure his own re-election. It could also determine whether Pakistan continues to co-operate with Britain and the US to the same degree in a campaign against al-Qaeda and Taleban militants near the Afghanistan border.

President Musharraf, 64, who had promised a fair election and warned the opposition not to protest against the result, pledged yesterday to work with the new civilian government.

Asif Ali Zardari, 51, Ms Bhutto’s widower and successor as PPP leader, has not ruled out working with Mr Musharraf, even though many PPP supporters blame the President for her death. “Victory is our destiny and we will change the system,” Mr Zardari said. However, Mr Sharif and senior PPP figures have said that they cannot work with Mr Musharraf and will try to impeach him if they win a two-thirds majority.

The PPP swept the vote in the southern province of Sindh, its traditional stronghold, and also picked up votes in North West Frontier Province from Islamist parties that have lost credibility by allying themselves with President Musharraf.

The main battleground, though, was Punjab, home to 60 per cent of the population and accounting for 148 of the 342 seats in Parliament. The most hotly contested constituency there was in Gujarat. That race — seen as symbolically the most important in the country — was between Chaudhry Shujaat, the leader of the PML (Q), and Ahmad Mukhtar, a wealthy shoe magnate and PPP loyalist.

Mr Mukhtar said that he had spent 40 million rupees (£300,000) of his own money on his campaign and had recruited a militia to guard him and his supporters. “It was very important for us to do a lot of firing into the air,” he said as he dispatched armed men to polling stations where his supporters were reporting alleged electoral abuses. “They are such big crooks. You have to show that you have guns too and can protect people.”

Mr Shujaat, meanwhile, was relaxing over lunch at his white-washed headquarters swarming with heavily armed Punjab police. “I went to vote but otherwise I’m not going out,” he said, scoffing at the suggestion that he was threatened by Mr Mukhtar’s wealth. However, preliminary results suggested that Mr Mukhtar had prevailed and that the PML (Q) would not have enough seats to form a government with its traditional allies. And in Rawalpindi, where Ms Bhutto was assassinated, Mr Sharif’s party appeared to have trounced all the PML (Q) candidates.

The men who matter

Asif Ali Zardari

Benazir Bhutto’s polo-loving widower named as PPP leader in her will, despite corruption allegations that earned him the nickname “Mr 10 Per Cent”. He is running the party until Bilawal, their 19-year-old son, graduates from Oxford. Not standing as prime minister, but is seen as the “power behind the throne”

Makhdoom Amin Fahim

The PPP’s softly-spoken Vice-Chairman and prime ministerial candidate. Served in the Cabinet under both Ms Bhutto and her father, and led the party during her eight years in exile. Refused premiership in 2002, but is seen as acceptable to all sides

Pervez Musharraf

A former special forces commando, he was applauded widely when he seized power in 1999, but angered many conservatives by backing the US-led War on Terror. Alienated urban middle class last year by sacking the Chief Justice and imposing emergency rule

Nawaz Sharif

Wealthy industrialist who has twice been Prime Minister, Mr Sharif heads the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party. Ousted in the Musharraf coup of 1999 and sent into exile. Returned in November to challenge Musharraf, but is barred from elected office because of criminal conviction

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi

Leads splinter faction of Sharif’s party which worked with intelligence agencies to drum up support for Musharraf. Supported by only 5 per cent of Pakistanis

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