[ad_1]
The explosion took place on the outskirts of Quetta, capital of Balochistan province. The cause of the blast was unknown, said the city police commissioner, Quetta, Naseeb Ullah
Akber Khan, the trader who witnessed the attack, said that he was not the only one. he had already voted in a nearby polling station. Going outside, he had "hardly walked a step or two" when the explosion occurred.
"We went down, most people started to run, after 10 minutes, when the chaos was over, we started to pick up the wounded, we transported them in private vehicles because the ambulances had not arrived yet. "
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. CNN can not independently verify this assertion.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one person was killed and three others wounded in a skirmish outside a polling station between supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Imran Khan and the Awami National Party of the province. , saying in a tweet that he was "saddened by the loss of innocent lives", adding that "Pakistan's enemies are seeking to disrupt our democratic process … Pakistanis must defeat terrorists' plans by force to cast their vote. "
The election pitted the star cricket party Khan in a very close race against that of former imprisoned premier Nawaz Sharif.
Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced his brother as their party's candidate, said in a tweet: "Broken heart to learn the martyrdom of innocent people, including police officers … My deepest condolences bereaved families. "
Police and military personnel were in force at election monitoring stations across the country, with security guards flying surveillance drones in the troubled northwestern town of Peshawar. Long lines of voters lined up in the big cities of Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.
Army officials said more than 370,000 soldiers had been deployed to ensure "fair and free" elections, with the police estimating the total security force at 800,000.
"Air of fear" according to votes
CNN in Peshawar, Sumera Khanum, 36, said that Wednesday's election was only the third time in her life when she had voted .
"There is an air of fear but we have to go out and vote," she said. "Women should come in large numbers with men to vote."
University graduate Amina Shams, 26, who was voting for the first time, said, "We want to make changes for youth".
But she added that there was a "feeling of fear in Peshawar … when I left home this morning I was scared."
Key Timings
Local 8h (23h ET Tues.): Open Polls
18:00 (9:00 ET): Closed Polls (may be extended until 7:10 pm if high turnout or delays in voting)
8-9pm (11am – 12pm) ET: Pakistan Election Commission to Start Announcing Regional Results [19659002] 23:00 (14:00 ET): The overall results should begin to materialize, candidates will begin to concede or declare victory
concerns
Newspapers were dominated on Wednesday by l & # 39; pivotal election, with a describing as on a "knife tip". Many also noted the strong presence of security when voters went to the polls.
Nearly 106 million people are registered to vote for members of the lower house of parliament and four provincial assemblies.
This week's elections represent only the second time in the 71-year history of Pakistan. Power.
The military has ruled Pakistan directly or indirectly for most of its history. control over defense and foreign policy, as well as his own trading empire.
Khan repeatedly denied claims he is backed by the military, and condemned the harassment of election candidates.
The former cricket captain of Pakistan said that he had voted, telling reporters, "I am a sportsman, I will not declare victory until the last bowl has been played."
The Tight Race
With the Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) still in place after its imprisonment, the election represents a real chance for Khan's center-right PTI to break into the two party system that has traditionally dominated national politics.
However, the end result could go to the limit, leaving the candidates for coalition talks with the formerly dominant Pakistani People's Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 29, son of the former president Asif Ali Zardari. and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Pakistan has a wide range of small parties that could take a new level of importance if Khan or another candidate needs to rely on them to form a coalition government. Among these marginal groups are right-wing Islamist parties, some of which are known to be sympathetic to militant groups.
"It has been awhile since Pakistan 's political environment is tense and polarized, so I imagine that any coalition will be split up and divided," said Michael Kugelman, an expert on the political environment. South Asia at Wilson Center.
Khan built on his sporting celebrity and the success of PTI as a regional party to become a candidate for change, drawing religious conservatives and deepening the endemic corruption of Pakistan – a task facilitated by Sharif's belief.
As the elections began on Wednesday, Khan 's supporters remained optimistic: if elected, his slogan of building a "New Pakistan" would bear fruit.
"I just voted for the ITP," Amna Gardar told Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab. "If you want to be part of this change, please come on, please vote."
All eyes will be on Shahbaz Sharif to maintain the PML-N's grip on his stronghold in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous and richest province. It will be extremely difficult for Khan to take power without winning the Punjab. Analysts were divided on whether the incarceration of Sharif would spark a vote of sympathy.
As voters flocked to polling stations, Shahbaz tweeted that he had voted, urging his compatriots to participate in the elections
. you have all come to vote for Pakistan's progress and prosperity, "he said." May this election be a source of peace and stability for the nation! "
In Baluchistan, voters braved elections despite recent attacks. "I vote for the Pakistan People's Party," said Syed Izatullah, a young voter who stands in front of a polling station in Quetta, adding that Bilawal Bhutto could pull Pakistan out of trouble
"My vote is for Muttahida Majlas e Amal. religious alliance), "said Habibullah Khan with a black beard
Source link
