News Brief
Pakistan National Elections 2024: Voting Ongoing Amid Internet Suspension; Military-Favoured Nawaz Sharif Tipped To Win
Poster of Jailed Ex-PM Imran Khan at an election rally. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images
Cash-strapped Pakistan on 8 February began voting in the general elections to elect a new government amid internet suspension.
The main contests are expected to be between candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the last national election, and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif.
As the voting is still underway, speculations emerge that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N may emerge as the largest party in Parliament as it is backed by the powerful military.
A new political party named Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, believed to be a formed by the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, is also participating in the general elections, according to a media report.
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The polling started at 8.00 am and will continue without any break till 5.00 p.m.
Earlier, two bomb explosions rocked the Pakistani province of Balochistan where at least 28 people got killed and wounded dozens on the eve of general elections, officials said.
The first blast killed 16 people in Pishin district, north of Quetta city.
The second explosion left 12 people dead in Qila Saifullah to the east.
Furthermore, A security official was shot dead at a polling station in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
As reported by Times Now, the incident took place at Tank in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It's important to note that Pakistan's National Assembly comprises 336 seats, out of which 266 candidates will be voted through the direct voting process.
In the 2018 elections, 116 seats were won by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N) won 64 seats.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party had won 43, Independents 13 seats and 40 others were won by other parties and members.
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