Pakistanis voted today in a tense election to choose a new government as at least 35 people were killed in an ISIS suicide attack and poll-related violence, amidst charges of manipulation by the powerful Army and concerns over the participation of Islamic hardliners.
Hours after polling began for the general elections, an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up outside a polling station in Bhosa Mandi area of Balochistan's provincial capital, Quetta, killing 31 people, including policemen.
In separate incidents, four persons were killed in poll-related violence. Clashes erupted between rival parties outside several polling stations, reports said.
Nearly 10.6 crore people are registered to vote for members of the lower house of parliament and four provincial assemblies. The election marks the second democratic transition of power in the nation's 70-year history.
The voting started at 8 AM local time on more than 85,000 polling stations. The counting of votes will be done on the spot soon after the conclusion of the polling process at 6 PM and results will be announced within 24 hours.
While polling stations officially opened for voting at 8 AM, enthusiastic citizens queued up outside their respective stations as early as 7 AM.
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Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa cast his vote in Rawalpindi.
Shahbaz Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who is hoping to become the next prime minister, was among the first to cast his vote in Lahore.
"Just cast my vote. High time that all of you came out to vote for Pakistan's progress and prosperity. May this election be a source of peace and stability for the nation!," he tweeted.