Election over, Pakistan starts counting vote

Counting of vote started in Pakistan after millions of people defying Taliban death threats and violence that claimed 24 lives, voted in a landmark general election, following the completion of a five-year term by another elected government.

The counting of vote began after all the voters present in polling stations cast their vote.

In all 4‚659 candidates are in the fray contesting 272 general seats to the National Assembly and more than 10‚900 for general seats of provincial assemblies.

In all 69‚ 729 polling stations have been set up with 193‚235 polling booths throughout the country to facilitate voters.

The Election Commission extended polling by an hour to accommodate large numbers of voters who were still present at polling stations and officials said they expected the turnout to be around 60 per cent.

A staggering 75,000 security personnel, including 5,000 troops for sensitive polling stations Taliban-dominated restive areas in northwest, were deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.

Despite Taliban threats to target the elections, part of the "infidel" system of democracy, long queues were seen outside thousands of polling stations across the country.

The turnout remained strong throughout the day despite a string of gun and bomb attacks in Karachi and across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

The attacks killed at least 24 people and injured dozens.

The main contenders are the PPP, which has been ruling the country, PML-N led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf headed by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan.

The PML-N and Khan's party were the only major political forces that were able to conduct a nationwide campaign after the Taliban warned that it would target leaders and rallies of the secular-leaning PPP, Awami National Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The Election Commission termed the turnout as "very good" across the country in general without specifying the precise figure. The largest province of Punjab saw a huge turnout, it said.