ISLAMABAD: Millions of Pakistanis are voting on Thursday in a general election that has been marred by violence, allegations of rigging and unprecedented internet and mobile phone outages across the country.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said internet and mobile services have been suspended for security reasons and will be restored once the situation improves.
The move drew criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which accused the electoral body of trying to manipulate the results.
The PPP also filed a complaint against the ECP alleging that its polling agents were not allowed to enter some polling stations and that ballot boxes were tampered with. The ECP said it had received complaints of irregularities and would investigate them.
The voting process was also marred by several incidents of violence, including clashes between supporters of rival parties, attacks on election staff.
Despite the challenges, it appeared that a large number of voters, especially young people, exercised their right to choose their representatives for the next five years.
The election was seen as a test of the popularity of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which faced a strong challenge from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently serving a sentence in Adiala jail.
The PML-N claimed to have fulfilled its promises of economic development, infrastructure projects and energy security. PTI, on the other hand, has promised to bring change in the system, fight corruption and ensure social justice.
Other major parties in the fray included the PPP, headed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) , led by Sirajul Haq, and the Awami National Party (ANP), led by Aimal Wali Khan.
Leaders of all these parties cast their votes in their respective constituencies and urged their supporters to turn out in large numbers. They also appealed for peace and harmony and warned against any attempt to rig the election.
