WEB DESK
Polling is underway in Pakistan to elect a new Parliament. There are concerns about the integrity of the vote and the likelihood of a coalition government formation due to deep political divisions. Local media reported that polling station staffs were shot at in Pakistan, leaving one police officer dead. The incident happened in Tank District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan suspended mobile phone services across the nation today citing the need to preserve order amidst anticipated unrest surrounding the contentious polls. Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed at polling stations to ensure security. On the eve of the election, two bombings at election offices in the south-western Baluchistan province have killed at least 30 people and wounded many. The Islamic State group has claimed the responsibility.
Former PM Imran Khan voted by postal ballot from jail and other prominent incarcerated political figures have cast their votes through postal ballot from jail.
Meanwhile, Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria said the Pakistan general elections are the most predictable and the most rigged. The army in various ways is doing pre-election engineering, it will probably do some election engineering and post-election engineering to get a government that it wants in place, he commented.