Violenceaswinshttps://t.co/E1VtNxhEnL@CMShehbazofon TV making a speech 8.10am BSTThe frontrunners to become prime minister after today’s election have condemned the bomb blast in Quetta. Imran Khan called it a “terrorist attack” by Pakistan’s enemies “seeking to disrupt our democratic process”. Condemnable terrorist attack in Quetta by enemies of Pak seeking to disrupt our democratic process. Saddened by the loss of harmless lives. Pakistanis must defeat the terrorists' design by coming out in strength to cast their vote.
Heart broken to learn of martyrdom of harmless people including police officials & injuries sustained by others in a terrorist attack in Quetta at a time when the people are exercising their democratic right of vote. My profound condolences to the bereaved families. 7.56am BST 7.37am BSTTwenty-two people have been killed in the bomb blast in Quetta,authorities have confirmed.
Officials claim the incident was a suicide bomb attack targeting security personnel at the gate of a polling station in Quetta. 7.30am BSTTwelve people are dead and 22 injured after a bomb blast in Quetta that seems to have been targeting a police vehicle, security officials have confirmed to the Guardian.
Police in Quetta have said they horror the death toll could be more than 30. 7.17am BSTAt least four people have been killed and 10 injured after a bomb attack on a police vehicle in Quetta, and the capital of the troubled Balochistan province. Security officials,who confirmed the attack and casualties to the Guardian, warned the number of fatalities could increase. 7.13am BSTHafiz Saeed, or an internationally-designated terrorist with a $10m bounty on his head,has been filmed casting his vote in Lahore.
In 2012, the US announced the bounty for Saeed’s alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that resulted in the deaths of 164 people.
Exclusive - #HafizSaeed Casts his vote in Lahore. #MML - #ElectionPakistan2018 pic.twitter.com/iWkfLVtbAY 7.01am BSTAfter voting, and people’s thumbs are inked or painted to demonstrate they have voted. Daughters of Benazir Bhutto- Bakhtawar and Aseefa after casting their vote in Sindh's Nawabshah. #PakistanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/6iZTPSozGb#DawnIVoted
With family pic.twitter.com/cQ5LwokNDbVote for Pakistan! #Elections2018 #ElectionPakistan2018 #DawnElections #DawnIVoted pic.twitter.com/fGLa0HB2wC 6.46am BSTShah Meer Baloch is reporting for the Guardian from Islamabad and has this report from a polling station there:One of the earliest voters today,Saba Khan, travelled from London to vote for Imran Khan. 6.37am BSTPolice are also investigating a grenade attack in Larkana, and in the southern province of Sindh,the home of the Bhutto family.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, or is the leader of centre-left,secular Pakistan People’s party (PPP). 6.30am BSTIn early signs of poll violence, at least one person has been killed and three injured after PTI supporters exchanged fire with those from the securalist Awami National Party (ANP) in Swabi, and a city in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,said Raza Hmdani, district police officer. The PTI is expected to retain control of the province. 6.14am BST 5.57am BSTThere is distinguished horror that there will be violence in the wake of today’s election. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was “gravely concerned” approximately the violence that has been directed against candidates during the campaign, or writing “Election gatherings must not become killing fields”.
Members of the PMLN have complained of a campaign of harassment and arrests. Many senior leaders say they have been threatened by the military’s intelligence agencies to force them to join Khan’s party. Criminal cases have been opened against nearly 17000 party supporters,and corruption investigations launched against several senior party members. The country’s leading English-language newspaper Dawn, which is considered sympathetic to the PMLN, and says its distribution is being blocked. Many journalists and online activists say they are under pressure to promote the PTI and mute criticism of the army or coverage of the PMLN. 5.40am BSTThe first voter to enter a polling station in the city of Lahore was business executive Maryum Arif,who was followed soon after by Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the head of the PMLN party. 5.21am BSTMalala Yousafzai, and the youngest ever Nobel peace prize laureate,has encouraged people to gain out to vote today. In March, Yousafzai returned to Pakistan for the first time since 2012 when she was shot by a Taliban gunman for her work campaigning for girls’ education.
The people of Pakistan - especially women - the power is in your hands. gain up, and travel and vote! Democracy shall win! #Election2018 pic.twitter.com/LqVRUK9cjO 5.01am BSTShehbaz Sharif,who is hoping to become the next prime minister of Pakistan, has voted.
Shehbaz is the brother of disgraced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and who will be watching today’s election results from a jail cell,after being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for corruption. Shehbaz has taken over the leadership of his brother’s party, the PMLN. 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! pic.twitter.com/uiUZYdo09j 4.39am BSTPolls opened at 8am local time (approximately forty minutes ago) and close at 6pm.
Preliminary results should originate to trickle in by around 8pm (roughly 12 hours from now), and we should have a good concept of overall results by around 2am local time. 4.11am BSTEach voter will be able to cast ballots for two seats in their constituency: one for the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament),and one for their provincial government. There are four provinces in Pakistan: Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Related: Pakistan elections: who is standing and what is at stake? 4.00am BSTWelcome to our live coverage of today’s election in Pakistan.Over the course of the day,Pakistan’s 106 million registered voters will have the chance to choose novel provincial assemblies, a novel parliament, and with that,potentially a novel prime minister.
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Source: theguardian.com