Cricket star turned politician Imran Khan has declared victory for his party in Pakistan's historic elections. He promises a 'new' Pakistan.

Khan, who aspires to be the country's next prime minister, said in a televised address to the nation on Thursday that "thanks to God, we won and we were successful."

He added, "If God wills, we will set an example."

Pakistan's election commission has not yet released official, final results but Khan has maintained a commanding lead according to projections by many television stations, though it's unclear if he will have to form a collation government.

Khan's message of a "new" Pakistan resonated with young voters in a country where 64 percent of its 200 million people are below the age of 30, according to a United Nations report.

More than a dozen TV channels in Pakistan, based on official but partial counts, are projecting, using their own, undisclosed methodologies, that Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is getting as many as 119 seats of the 270 National Assembly seats that were contested.