UPDATE - Pakistan: Premier hails poll win by Turkey's Erdogan

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY OPPOSITION LEADER

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan’s premier has extended congratulations to Turkey’s president on his party’s win in Sunday’s local elections.

"I am delighted to congratulate friend of Pakistan Recep Tayyip Erdogan on another important victory in the Turkish local elections," Imran Khan said in a tweet on Monday.

"The people of Pakistan wish him many more successes," he added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif also extended greetings to the Turkish president on the election win.

“I extend my most heartfelt congratulations to my dear brother, the esteemed President Erdogan, for his success in the local elections. These elections were a vote of confidence for his extraordinary administration. He proved that the people respond to service. Long live the PakTurk friendship,” Sharif said in a Twitter post.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party led the weekend local elections, capturing 15 metropolitan municipalities (larger cities) and 24 cities, according to early results as of Monday morning.

AK Party candidates got the support of 44.42 percent of voters on Sunday, beating the 30.07 percent draw of the main opposition Republican People's Party’s (CHP), which won mayoral races in 11 metropolitan municipalities and 10 cities.