Nawaz Sharif's PML-N comes second as votes are counted; ex-prez Zardari likely to be 'kingmaker'
Voting in a tense election to choose a new government in Pakistan ended yesterday with at least 35 people being killed in an Islamic State suicide attack and poll-related violence during the day.
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Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was leading on 94 parliamentary seats while its main rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ahead on 53 seats in the initial round of the counting in an election marred by a deadly suicide attack and allegations of manipulations by the powerful military.
At least 31 people, including policemen, were killed after a suicide bomber blew himself up in Quetta. Pics/AFP and AP
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former president Asif Ali Zardari was leading on 32 seats, indicating that he could play a 'kingmaker' in case of a hung parliament, according to media reports. Independents were leading on 20 seats.
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) 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, which was rejected by the Election Commission.
Hours after polling began, an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up outside a polling station in Bhosa Mandi area in Quetta, killing 31 people, including policemen.
Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif and Hafiz Saeed
EC reprimands Imran, Shehbaz
Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan stated that the media discussions pertaining to PTI chief Imran Khan and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif were a violation of ECP code of conduct. Imran Khan's NA-53 vote may now be cancelled as he was captured on video while casting his vote. Meanwhile, Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed cast his vote in Lahore's Wafaqi Colony amid concerns in the country over the participation of Islamist hardliners in election in large numbers.
'Low turnout will see cancellation of votes'
Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan stated that a low turnout of women voters at any polling booth will result in the cancellation of all votes cast in that booth. The ECP has kept a threshold of 10 per cent of overall votes to be cast by women voters at every booth, as reported by The Dawn. This follows reports that women have been deterred from casting their votes in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Breaking tradition
In a historic first, women of a conservative tribal district of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan yesterday cast their ballots as the country went to polls, according to a media report. Since Pakistan's first general elections in the 70s, the women in Upper Dir, which was once a Taliban stronghold, had been deprived of using their right to franchise on the pretext of cultural taboos.
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