At least five people were killed today in armed attacks in Pakistan coinciding with the general elections, with mobile phone services temporarily suspended across the country and some land borders closed to maintain order and enforce the law. The government's decision to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers at polling stations and across the nation follows two explosions near the offices of electoral candidates. Voters will directly elect 266 members while 70 seats—60 for women and ten for non-Muslims—are allocated based on the number of seats each party wins.
The government's decision comes amid a rise in armed attacks in the lead-up to the elections, just a day after imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his supporters to remain at polling stations post-voting until the results are announced. The Interior Ministry wrote on the platform "X": "As a result of recent terrorist incidents in the country, precious lives have been lost, and security measures are necessary to preserve law and order and address potential threats, hence mobile services were temporarily suspended nationwide."
On the eve of the elections, two explosions at polling offices resulted in the deaths of 26 people in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The country is on high alert with military presence at polling stations, and tens of thousands of troops and paramilitary personnel deployed nationwide. Pakistan has announced it will close its borders with Iran and Afghanistan today for security reasons. Preliminary unofficial results are expected to emerge a few hours after voting ends at 5 PM (1200 GMT), with the situation likely to clarify early tomorrow, Friday.
The main competition is between candidates backed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won the last national elections, and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) led by Nawaz Sharif, who has served as Prime Minister three times and is considered the frontrunner. Analysts suggest there may not be a clear winner, but influential generals in Pakistan could play a role. The Pakistani military has directly or indirectly dominated the nuclear-armed state since its independence 76 years ago, although it has stated for years that it does not interfere in politics.
Khan believes the military is behind a campaign to eliminate his party's presence, while analysts and opponents say Sharif enjoys the support of the generals.
### Police Officer Killed in Shooting at Polling Station
Sky News reported, citing Pakistani media, that a police officer was killed in the border area of Tank following an attack at a polling station for elections for the National Assembly and regional legislative councils. According to Sky News, "Voting was halted at the Kot Azam polling station in Tank after unknown gunmen shot an officer, resulting in his immediate death." Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed at polling stations to ensure security during an election period marked by violence.
