BEIJING - China has congratulated Pakistan on its smooth general election, pledging continued firm support to the country.

"China is glad to see that Pakistan's general election has been smoothly held," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily press briefing on Monday.

Hong's comments came after the initial results showed, as of 10 am local time on Sunday, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had secured 86 out of the 152 National Assembly seats, leading the elections by a big margin over other rivals.

"China welcomes and congratulates this," Hong said.

As an all-weather partner, China will continue to firmly support Pakistan's efforts to maintain stability and seek development, Hong said.

"We are convinced that with joint efforts, the China-Pakistan strategic cooperative partnership will be lifted to a new level," Hong said.