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Jailed former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has claimed victory for his supporters in the country’s general election – via a video generated using artificial intelligence (AI).

The clip of the former cricket star was uploaded on social media on Friday just hours after his rival Nawaz Sharif also claimed to have won despite vote counting continuing.

Many candidates from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were forced to stand as independents in the election after an alleged crackdown which saw senior party figures jailed and their campaigning activities restricted.

In the video, Khan is heard telling independent candidates to celebrate their win, while he also rejects Sharif’s declaration of victory.

“You have laid the foundation for your genuine freedom by voting yesterday,” he is heard saying. Sharif is also referred to as a “dishonourable man” for claiming victory.

With nearly 90% of the results in on Friday night, independent candidates backed by Khan’s PTI party had won 95 seats, while Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) had secured 66 seats.

A total of 169 seats are required for a majority in the 336-seat assembly. Some 265 seats were up for grabs in Thursday’s poll.

It came as the EU, UK and US all cast doubt over the integrity of the vote.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said there were “serious concerns” about the “fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections” amid accusations of military interference and vote-rigging.

In a statement on Friday night, he added: “We regret that not all parties were formally permitted to contest the elections and that legal processes were used to prevent some political leaders from participation”.

During the election campaign, police blocked the PTI from holding rallies and opening offices, while the party was also banned from using its symbol – a cricket bat – to help illiterate voters find it on ballot papers.

Khan and other senior PTI figures were also jailed on what they claim were politically-motivated charges.

Read more: Pakistan election: A prisoner, a kingmaker and an unexpected return

‘We don’t have enough of a majority’

After declaring victory on Friday, Sharif told reporters his younger brother, fellow former leader Shehbaz Sharif, would hold talks with other party leaders to discuss a way forward – just a day after he rejected the idea of joining forces with any of his rivals.

He admitted: “We don’t have enough of a majority to form a government without the support of others and we invite allies to join the coalition so we can make joint efforts to pull Pakistan out of its problems.”

The former prime minister also urged victorious independent candidates to enter his potential coalition.

“I don’t want to fight with those who are in the mood for fighting,” he said. “We will have to sit together to settle all matters.”

He said the meetings would include talks with Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of assassinated ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and father of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party – which is in third place so far with 51 seats.

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‘Interference in electoral process’

Sharif, who has been prime minister of Pakistan three times previously, returned to the country in October after four years of self-imposed exile, including time in London, to avoid serving several prison sentences.

But within weeks of his return, his convictions were overturned, leaving him free to seek a fourth term.

The election was held amid tight security, with thousands of troops deployed on the streets and at polling stations across the country.

Pakistan’s borders with Iran and Afghanistan were also temporarily closed as security was stepped up.

Police also said two people were killed and six were injured in the northwest district of Shangla after clashes broke out between Khan supporters and officers.

The US state department said the election had been carried out amid a backdrop of restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller added: “We are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process.”

The European Union also called on authorities to ensure “a timely and full investigation” of all reported election irregularities.

Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the evacuation of Rafah, the southern Gaza city on the border with Egypt where an estimated 1.4 million people have been driven by Israel’s military offensive.

The order from the Israeli prime minister comes ahead of an expected ground offensive in the area, where Palestinian refugees, unable to leave the territory, are living in makeshift tent camps or overflowing UN-run shelters with severe shortages of food and medicine.

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A statement from Mr Netanyahu’s office said: “It is impossible to achieve the war objective of eliminating Hamas and leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah.

“On the other hand, it is clear that a massive operation in Rafah requires the evacuation of the civilian population from the combat zones.

“That is why the prime minister directed the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) and the defence establishment to bring to the cabinet a dual plan for both the evacuation of the population and the disbanding of the battalions.”

The plan for military escalation in Rafah was met with international criticism, including from the US and aid agencies.

President Joe Biden has said he considers Israel‘s conduct in the war to be “over the top” while the White House’s national security spokesperson John Kirby said an Israel ground offensive in Rafah is “not something we would support”.

The US State Department also said an invasion of Rafah “would be a disaster”.

Rafah had a pre-war population of roughly 280,000. According to the UN, the city is now home to some 1.4 million additional people living with relatives, in shelters, or in sprawling tent camps after fleeing fighting elsewhere in Gaza.

In total, around 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, with more than a quarter starving, the UN said.

The president of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Friday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is the worst she’s ever seen.

“I saw people needing food, water, sanitation issues… We need to get humanitarian aid in,” Kate Forbes said.

Meanwhile, UNICEF’s executive director said any military escalation in Rafah would mark “another devastating turn” in the war.

Catherine Russell said a ground invasion could leave thousands more dead through violence or lack of essential services, and further disrupt humanitarian assistance. She also highlighted that around 600,000 children have sought refuge in Rafah.

“We need Gaza’s last remaining hospitals, shelters, markets and water systems to stay functional.

“Without them, hunger and disease will skyrocket, taking more child lives.”

The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that a military escalation in Rafah “crosses all red lines” and aims to drive Palestinians from their land.

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It is unclear where civilians stuck in Rafah can evacuate to.

The Israeli offensive has caused widespread destruction, especially in northern Gaza, and hundreds of thousands of people do not have homes to return to.

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Egypt has also warned that any movement of Palestinians across its border would threaten the four-decade-old peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

Israel has already launched airstrikes on Rafah. Nearly two dozen people including women and children were killed on Thursday night in bombardment on Rafah and central Gaza.

The health ministry in Gaza said 27,840 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, when a Hamas attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250.

Hamas is still holding more than 130 hostages, but around 30 of them are believed to be dead.