Islamabad, Feb 18 (ANI): Voting for general elections has ended across the Pakistan at 5 p.m. on Monday. In various incidents of violence 19 persons including a woman were killed and several others wounded.
The polling process in most of the constituencies continued peacefully as incidents of violence reported in several areas, which claimed 10 lives including a union council nazim and a woman.
The woman was killed in exchange of fire between political workers in Gujrat, while a union council nazim was killed in firing in Toba Tek Singh.
The polling was suspended after killing of an activist of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) in NA-112 of Sialkot and the Rangers were called at the polling station.
Moreover, two persons were killed in Shakargarh and one each in Mingora, Dera Ghazi Khan, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Karak in violent incidents.
Two persons were wounded in exchange of fire between political workers at Goth Hashim Khashkheli near Shahdadpur.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif blamed government for the killing of one of his election candidate.
Shahbaz said that if opposition would not gain two third majority it means that the voting process is forged.
He alleged that the government party is trying to halt electoral process. Shahbaz said that government is responsible for the murder of PML-N.
Tens of thousands of troops guarded polling stations as polls opened across Pakistan at 8:00 a.m. Monday in critical parliamentary elections overshadowed by violence and fears of rigging.
Transparent ballot boxes -- one for the national assembly and another for the provincial assembly, were kept for casting of the votes.
Over 160 million ballot papers -- the white one for the national assembly and the green one for the provincial assembly, were printed.
Election Commission has set up over 64,000 polling stations all across the country-382 polling stations in Islamabad, over 37,600 in Punjab, over 13,400 in Sindh, over 8,100 in NWFP, over 3,400 in Balochistan, while 1,122 polling stations set up in FATA, where more than 5,61,000 presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers were posted.
The election commission has postponed the polling in NA-37 Parachinar-2.
Earlier, the election was postponed in NA-42 Tribal area VII in view of the bad law and order, while in NA-119 Lahore-II due to the death of a candidate Tariq Banday and in NA-207 Larkana cum Shikarpur due to PPP Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's murder in suicide attack.
Elections would be held later on in these constituencies.
Pakistan's Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Mohammad Farooq has asked polling staff to ensure flawless counting of ballot papers.
"Election Commission made every effort for fairness and transparency of polls. Now, you people would make it further credible by careful counting," he told the polling staff during visit to six polling stations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
"In such a massive exercise, minor incidents are usual and the DROs and ROs can take care of such matters," he told reporters who pointed out incidents of snatching of ballot papers in one constituency.
"If anybody has done it, he cannot use these ballots for fake vote casting due to safe entries, secret marks and stamps being fixed on the ballot papers," Farooq said.
He was satisfied with the pace of polling and hoped for good voter turnout.
"No complaint of rigging has yet been received by the Election Commission," the Dawn quoted Farooq, as saying.
The first results will come at about 10:30 p.m. (ANI)
