Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's security was stepped up and additional force was deployed around his house as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party today emerged as the single largest party in the initial trends in the parliamentary elections.
Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's security was stepped up and additional force was deployed around his house as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party today emerged as the single largest party in the initial trends in the parliamentary elections.
Khan, the PTI's prime ministerial candidate, was provided with VIP security and police has decided to install barriers on road leading to his house, Urdu langauge daily 'Jang' reported, citing police sources.
His party was leading in 75 parliamentary seats while its main rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ahead on 51 seats in the initial round of counting in an election marred by a deadly suicide attack and allegations of manipulations by the powerful military.
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) - an alliance of traditional religious parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan led by Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani and Tehreek-e-Jafaria led by Allama Sajid Naqvi - was leading on 11 seats.
A party can only form the government if it manages to clinch 172 seats in total.
Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected whereas the rest - 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities - are selected later through proportional representation among parties with more than five per cent of the vote.
Earlier, the voting ended at its scheduled time despite calls by several major parties, including PML-N, PPP and PTI, to extend the polling time by an hour. They had complained of "a slow voting process" and thus sought more time to facilitate voters - a request that was rejected by the Election Commission.
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.
While polling stations officially opened for voting at 8 AM, enthusiastic citizens queued up outside their respective stations as early as 7 AM.
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa cast his vote in Rawalpindi.
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