Pakistan Election 2024 Voting Live Updates: Embattled by political, economic, and judicial crises over the course of the last few years, Pakistan voted in its long-delayed general election on Thursday, 8 February.
Pakistan's 128 million registered voters voted to pick 266 representatives on forming the 16th Parliament in a first-past-the-post system. They also voted to elect the legislatures of the country’s four provinces – Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Polling booths opened around 8am local time (8:30 am IST) and begun to close at 5pm (5:30 pm IST).
The Pakistan general elections are a tri-contest between Nawaz Sharif's the Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and imprisoned Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
According to Pakistan's Election Act, the election commission of the country is required to publish official results within 14 days of polls being conducted.
While unofficial results may begin to flow in on Thursday night itself, the ECP is likely to announce results on Friday, 9 February, according to a report by Reuters.
A police officer stands guard as workers prepare ballot boxes and other materials before dispatching them to polling stations for the upcoming 8 February general election in Peshawar, Pakistan.
(Photo: PTI)
Interior ministry authorities in Pakistan suspended mobile phone services across the nation as polling began to “maintain law and order.
Four police officials were reportedly killed in a bomb blast and subsequent shooting in Northwest Pakistan, Reuters said quoting local police.
Nawaz Sharif, the three-time former PM who recently returned from a self-imposed exile, is considered to be a favourite in the 12th general elections of the country.
The PTI and its leader, former PM Imran Khan, have faced months of a nationwide crackdown, with party leaders being arrested, PTI candidates being declared as independents, and nomination papers being rejected.
The general elections comes at a time when Pakistan faces a deteriorating security situation, an economic meltdown, skyrocketing inflation, and a tense internal political situation.
12 Killed on Polling Day: Pakistan Military
Pakistani military issued a statement stating that at least 12 people, mostly security officials, were killed and 39 injured in attacks on the day of elections, reported Al Jazeera.
The reported further quoted Inter-Services Public Relations of Pakistan stating that At least 51 “cowardly terrorist attacks” took place, mostly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces on the polling day.
It further added that five attackers were also killed.
PPP Claims Ballot Papers Snatched At Karachi Polling Station
PPP Karachi president Saeed Ghani has claimed that workers of Irfanullah Marwat snatched four books of ballot papers at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Girls College in Karachi’s PS-105 polling station, reported Dawn.
He further added that they are not allowing the counting of votes at the polling station.
'Internet Outage Won't Affect Result': ECP
ECP spokesperson Haroon Shinwari has said that results will be announced on time and internet outage won't affect its system, reported Dawn.
Internet services were suspended earlier owning to the security situation, said Interior Ministry.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Thanks Voters
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf took to X (formerly Twitter) and thanked voters as the polling concluded.
"Thank you to all those brave Pakistanis who came out to vote today, despite all the challenges. InshAllah victory will be our and all plans of rigging will be defeated!" it said.