Pakistan election – live: Voting closes in polls marred by violence and internet shutdown

At least nine people were killed in Pakistan in poll-related violence and attacks as the country’s 240 million population votes to elect their new parliament and prime minister in high-stake elections.

The attack took place in northwest Pakistan’s Dera Ismail Khan as gunmen set off a bomb and then opened fire at a police van, police officials said. At least two others were injured in the attack.

Khalid Khan, local police official, said casualties include officers assigned to security duty in the district for the parliamentary elections. No one claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Mobile network and data services have also been blocked in several parts of Pakistan as voters complained of no internet reception outdoors.

The elections, already hit by accusations of rigging and unfair conditions for main opponent Imran Khan, are seeing at least 44 political parties vying for a share of the 266 seats that are up for grabs in the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament.

An additional 70 seats are reserved for women and minorities in the 336-seat house.

Voting started at 8am local time as polling stations opened for both national and provincial assemblies and is set to conclude by 5pm.

Key Points

• Pakistan suspends cellular services ‘temporarily’

• ‘Outcome of elections unlikely to be stabilising’

• Pakistan election commission says did not instruct interior ministry to suspend mobile services

• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demands restoration of mobile services

Nawaz Sharif discussing PM plans as voting comes to an end

12:41 , Arpan Rai

Considered to be a frontrunner in today’s parliamentary elections in Pakistan, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has brushed off suggestions his Pakistan Muslim League party might not win an outright majority and would need to form a coalition to govern. “For

God’s sake, don’t mention a coalition government,” he said after casting his vote in Lahore’s upscale Model Town neighbourhood.

With hours of polling still to go, he even suggested he was already thinking about which posts would go to his family members — including his younger brother and former prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif.

Story continues

“Once this election is over,” Nawaz Sharif said, “we will sit down and decide who is PM (prime minister) and who is CM (chief minister)” of Punjab province, a job that is regarded as a stepping stone to becoming premier.

The elections seen to have been marred by internet shutdowns saw supporters, armed police, and media gathered outside the polling station, their numbers increasing as Mr Sharif’s arrival loomed.

Polling has closed in the country and Sikandar Sultan Raja, chief election commissioner, said officials would communicate the results to the oversight body by the early hours of Friday, with the outcome released to the public after that.

Voting closes in Pakistan election

12:29 , Arpan Rai

Nawaz Sharif seeks ‘clear majority’ as results expected soon

12:14 , Arpan Rai

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is likely to make a comeback in Pakistan after today’s election, dismissed talks of an unclear result and emphasised the need for a “clear majority”.

“Don’t talk about a coalition government. It is very important for a government to get a clear majority…it should not be relying on others,” he told reporters after casting his vote in the eastern city of Lahore.

The main contests are expected to be between candidates backed by jailed leader Imran Khan, whose party won the last national election, and the Pakistan Muslim League of Sharif, who analysts say is being backed by the powerful military.

“The deciding factor is which side the powerful military and its security agencies are on,” said Abbas Nasir, a columnist. “Only a huge turnout in favour of (Khan’s) PTI can change its fortunes.”

He added: “Economic challenges are so serious, grave, and the solutions so very painful that I am unsure how anyone who comes to power will steady the ship.”

Voting time won’t be extended, says Pakistan poll body despite reports

12:02 , Arpan Rai

The Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected requests for extending time for allowing more voters to cast votes.

No proposal for the extension of the deadline was being mulled over, the commission said on X, formerly Twitter.

The time for voting to end is 5pm and the unofficial results can be aired at 6pm, the commission said.

This is despite requests from the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led by Imran Khan as they pointed out reports of irregularities.

However, voting time at three polling stations in Gujrat’s NA-62 and PP-28 has been extended, reported Geo news.

In pictures: PM hopeful Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz cast vote

11:43 , Arpan Rai

In pictures: Imran Khan’s party workers hustle amid poor internet

11:21 , Arpan Rai

Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has decried unfair elections underway in Pakistan today and said their candidates were denied a fair chance at campaigning.

But the party workers, fearing arrest, continued working at the party offices across the country.

Mr Khan’s party called the suspension of the mobile phone services “a severe assault on democracy” and a “cowardly attempt by those in power to stifle dissent, manipulate the election’s outcome, and infringe upon the rights of the Pakistani people.”

The cricket star-turned-Islamist politician – ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022 – is behind bars and banned from running in the election.

He has a huge following but PTI has been forced to back independent candidates. It also remains unclear if his angry and disillusioned supporters will turn up at the polls in significant numbers.

Pak PM says internet blackout in Pakistan over ‘security concerns’

11:00 , Arpan Rai

Caretaker prime minister of Pakistan Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said decisions of internet blackout in some regions of the country have been taken in consideration of security reasons.

On being asked today on the difficulties Pakistani voters were facing, Mr Kakar said: “I am not sure what difficulties are there but you must be aware there’s a wave of terrorism in Pakistan. Some decisions have been taken in security context.”

Authorities have suspended mobile phone services across the country to prevent disruptions and flash protests. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said the decision was made to maintain law and order. It did not say when the suspension would be lifted.

“Internet has been spotty the last weeks, especially more so today. It comes and goes — no Internet for 5-10 minutes, and then suddenly working slowly for a few minutes. Sites like X (Twitter) are especially slow,” one voter told The Independent.

Taliban ‘controlling polling stations’ in northwest Pakistan, claims party leader

10:50 , Arpan Rai

The Taliban’s fighters have been seen in northwest Pakistan’s North Waziristan where a local party leader has said they are issuing threats to the locals and polling staff.

“Militants have been issuing threats to the locals and to the polling staff. Three of our female polling agents very narrowly escaped attacks in the polling station in Government Middle School Wresham Jan Kot, GHS Tappi and GPS Awal Khan Kot in the morning of the polling day on the 8 February,” said Mohsin Dawar, central chairman of National Democratic Movement.

“The Taliban in the area have taken control of the polling stations. I had written a letter to the concerned DRO about the security situation in Tappi but my letter was ignored,” he wrote in a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He added that the region has seen tense security situation for months now, including an attack on him.

“I survived an attack in Tappi during my election campaign in January while an independent candidate of PK-104, Kaleem Dawar, was killed in an attack in Tappi during his election campaign in January,” he said in a letter, urging the poll body to ensure safety of locals and polling staff.

Several bomb attacks and firing disrupt voting across Pakistan

10:40 , Arpan Rai

A chain of attacks hampered voting in pockets of Pakistan today as locals stepped out to cast their ballots.

The attacks took place in Dera Ismal Khan in northwestern Pakistan where gunmen set off a bomb and then opened fire at a police van, killing five officers and wounding two others who were assigned to security duty, local police official Khalid Khan said.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, the volatile area is a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban who often target police forces.

In another northwestern town of Kot Azam, a soldier was killed when gunmen fired on troops, police official Fiyyaz Khan said. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for that attack.

In southwestern Balochistan province, unidentified assailants threw hand grenades at two polling stations where twin bombings hit separate election offices on Wednesday. The grenades caused panic among voters but no casualties were recorded, police offiicals said.

At least 30 people were killed and 30 others injured in the attack on Wednesday for which the Islamic State took responsibility.

What you need to know about candidates, key issues and what it means for the country

08:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Pakistan‘s 127 million voters get to elect a new parliament today. The elections are the twelfth in the country’s 76-year history, which has been marred by economic crises, military takeovers and martial law, militancy, political upheavals and wars with India.

Forty-four political parties are vying for a share of the 266 seats that are up for grabs in the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, with an additional 70 seats reserved for women and minorities.

After the election, the new parliament chooses a prime minister. If no party wins an outright majority, then the one with the biggest share of assembly seats can form a coalition government.

Read the full story here:

Pakistan election: What you need to know about candidates, key issues and what’s next

‘Outcome of elections unlikely to be stabilising’

08:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Michael Kugelman, Director of South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center writes: “The outcome of the elections on Thursday is unlikely to be stabilising. The next government will probably be a weak and fractious coalition; if turnout is low, it will lack a strong mandate.”

Writing in Foreign Policy, he says: “The losers will bitterly reject the elections result, hardening public anger, especially among PTI supporters. Despite everything, [Imran] Khan’s party is rallying its supporters with get-out-the-vote calls and contesting elections with independents on the ballot—but the cause is seemingly futile.”

He also believes that the country’s military may remain actively involved in politics post-elections. “Keen to play a leading role in Pakistan’s economic recovery, the military is unlikely to retreat to the barracks after the elections. This could set the stage for a new crisis — especially if PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, who sparred with the Army during his previous terms as prime minister, returns to power.”

PTI responds to internet shutdown: ‘Rigging and stealing… in full swing’

08:11 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of former prime minister Imran Khan, responded to the internet lockdown and called the elections in the country a “sham”.

He retweeted Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s post on X in which he had called for the immediate restoration of mobile phone and internet services.

Mr Bukhari wrote on X: “It seems all parties are complaining about the internet and mobile services being turned off across the country. Rigging and stealing the peoples mandate is in full swing. This sham election is going to be a remembered as the darkest day in Pakistan’s history. Caretaker govt should be named and shamed.”

Netblocks, a watchdog that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the internet, said today that internet blackouts were effective in “multiple regions of Pakistan in addition to mobile network disruptions”.

Caretaker prime minister promised everyone will have access to the internet on election day

07:56 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A day before polling, Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, claimed in an interview that the government had no intentions to block the internet and mobile services in Pakistan on election day.

When asked by a Sky News reporter if he can assure that everyone will get access to the internet or if the services will be blocked, he turns to his aide — who was not shown on the camera – who responds with a “no”.

Mr Kakar then turns to the reporter and shrugs his shoulders.

He also added in the same interview that “despite all our shortcomings and flaws in the system, there is no systematic pattern or institutional pattern where we are targeting a specific party or group”.

He also urged the world to wait and see what happens when the polls open.

The interview was aired just a day before elections and when mobile phone and internet services were suspended across Pakistan with parties claiming that this would make “rigging” easy.

Excited voters reach polling stations in Pakistani cities

07:45 , Arpan Rai

Pakistan has deployed tens of thousands of security forces across polling stations today as early voters reached their booths in the morning.

Fazal Hayyat, a 38-year-old driver in the northwestern city of Peshawar, was at the front of the line outside a polling station. He said he was “happy to be the first” one to cast his vote.

Sikandar Sultan Raja, the head of the Election Commission of Pakistan, has promised authorities would “ensure the holding of free and fair elections” and urged people to vote “without any fear”.

Internet and mobile phone services shut in Pakistan in ‘ominous start’ to election day

07:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Mobile phone and internet services have been suspended in Pakistan as millions of voters head to polling booths to cast their votes amid high security cover.

The Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that the decision to “temporarily suspend mobile services across the country” was due to “deteriorating security situation”.

Internet blackouts were effective in “multiple regions of Pakistan in addition to mobile network disruptions”, said Netblocks, a watchdog that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the internet.

Read the full story by Shweta Sharma here:

Mobile phone services shut in Pakistan in ‘ominous start’ to election day

Journalists say ‘grim’ internet blackout will harm transparency of elections

07:07 , Shweta Sharma

A journalist in the capital Islamabad told The Independent it is a “grim start” to the elections and they are left to rely only on wifi services for their coverage of one the most important days in any democracy.

Another journalist, Haroon Janjua, also based in Islamabad, said the suspension of mobile and internet services is “definitely a hurdle for journalists” covering the elections from the ground and also the transparency of the elections.

“The information to verify the authenticity of the news is limited and we cannot speak to the people and colleagues unless they have a Wifi connection. This is another tactic to stop the mobilisation of the voters,” Mr Janjua said.

Muhammad Shahid, a resident of Peshawar, told The Independent: “All mobile phone services are suspended not just the 4G internet. We are not getting the mobile phone signals on our phones and it will also affect the votes who are trying to confirm their votes through SMS.”

Mr Shahid, who was preparing to cast his vote, said the turnout they are seeing this time is considerably lower than what it used to be in the previous election but hopes that more people will come out to vote in the afternoon.

In Photos: Pakistan goes to polls as mobile services suspended

06:59 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demands restoration of mobile services

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of the PPP and one of the main contenders in today’s election, has demanded that mobile services be restored immediately.

He wrote on X: “Mobile phone services must be restored immediately across the country have asked my party to approach both ECP and the courts for this purpose.”

The Human Rights Council of Pakistan said it was “sad and a cause for concern”.

“This decision of the government will affect the transparency of the election,” the group said. “Provision of mobile services on voting day is a basic requirement in Pakistan.”

Pakistan shuts down land borders

06:24 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Pakistan’s borders with Iran and Afghanistan have temporarily been shut on the day of elections, Reuters reported.

Authorities have deployed tens of thousands of troops at polling stations and across the country a day after at least 30 people were killed in multiple blasts in Balochistan.

One policeman was reportedly shot dead outside a polling booth today in the Tank region in Dera Ismail Khan.

Polling closes at 5pm local time and preliminary results are expected to come in within few hours.

Internet blackout hits early voters in Pakistan

06:15 , Arpan Rai

Mobile data services have been stopped for voters excited to cast their votes in Pakistan today, leaving people unable to connect to the internet on their way to polling stations. Locals are relying on their home Wi-Fi connections but remain without internet outside home.

Abdur Rehman Shah, a 27-year-old political activist with a pro-democracy think-tank, told The Independent he was at a polling booth in Islamabad’s constituency NA-46 and that multiple issues have cropped up at voting centres visited by his friends and family.

“The mobile signals and mobile internet are not working. Home fibre connections are still working, Additionally, the police officials are not letting anyone enter the polling stations with cellular and internet connections,” he told The Independent.

He said that in the capacity of civilians, he and his family members are keeping an eye on the elections. “We have ensured that the polling agents do not leave the polling booth before getting the final results from the station because we fear it can be changed or tampered with when uploaded online later,” the 27-year-old said.

Today’s election is taking place amid widespread fears of rigging, and with the country’s most popular opposition leader – Imran Khan – jailed on a flurry of convictions handed down shortly before the vote.

Pakistan election commission says did not instruct interior ministry to suspend mobile services

05:59 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Pakistan’s Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja told reporters that the commission did not instruct the interior ministry over the suspension of mobile services.

“We have clarified multiple times that our system is not dependent on the internet. It will not affect our preparations,” he was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

“This is the decision of the law and order agencies. We can only give our recommendations. If we give them directions and if there is any incident, then who will be responsible?”

The disruption of internet services is likely to be a problem for voters, observers say, as they rely on apps and websites to determine their preferred candidates and understand their election symbols.

Authorities’ decision to suspend mobile services under fire

05:51 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The ministry of interior in Pakistan wrote on X on Thursday: “As a result of the recent incidents of terrorism in the country precious lives have been lost, security measures are essential to maintain the law and order situation and deal with possible threats, hence the temporary suspension of mobile services across the country.”

But the decision to suspend the mobile services was faced with severe criticism from all quarters.

Analyst Michael Kugelman called it an “ominous” move on the day of the polling.

Former PPP senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokha suggested that suspending mobile services “is the beginning of election day rigging”.

He wrote on X: “Pre-poll environment was already one of the worst in Pakistan’s history. Cutting candidates off from their agents and staff on election day is unacceptable.

“How’s one supposed to keep a check and highlight any irregularity? By the time news comes out, election would have been stolen,” he said.

Hammad Azhar from PTI said “the suspension of mobile services across Pakistan on polling day is shameful. The ppl of Pakistan are robbed of communications and access to information. What does the regime seek to accomplish in this digital darkness? Mobile services and internet must be restored immediately”.

Imran Khan’s demise has been swift and brutal – but it would be a mistake to write him off

05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Just a few years ago the former cricketer had successfully conquered Pakistan’s tumultuous political landscape – now he’s facing 14 years behind bars. Yet all is not lost for the man who once made even the country’s feared military fall into line, writes Omar Waraich:

Imran Khan’s demise has been swift and brutal – but it’s a mistake to write him off

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: The millennial ex-minister bidding to become Pakistan’s youngest ever PM

05:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Youth appeal and ambitious plans to combat climate change form the core of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s effort to become prime minister of Pakistan, which, if successful, would make him its youngest premier since his mother Benazir was in office.

The 35-year-old, a former foreign minister and scion of a family that gave the nation two prime ministers, called for new ideas and leadership to calm political and economic instability. “The implications of the decisions taken today are going to be faced by the youth of Pakistan,” Mr Bhutto Zardari told Reuters in Larkana, his hometown in the southern province of Sind, a family bastion.

“I think it would be better if they were allowed to make those decisions.”

About two-thirds of Pakistan’s population of 241 million is younger than 30, while its prime ministers since 2000 have been older than 61, on average.

Read the full story here:

The millennial ex-minister bidding to become Pakistan’s youngest ever PM

– Reuters

One policeman shot dead outside polling station – report

05:11 , Maroosha Muzaffar

One policeman was reportedly shot in firing on a police station in Tank district in Dera Ismail Khan division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, ARY News reported.

This comes just a day after at least 30 people were killed in multiple blasts in Balochistan.

The ministry of interior in Pakistan suspended mobile services across the country before the polling stations opened this morning at 8am, purportedly to curb terrorist activities.

What you need to know about candidates, key issues and what it means for the country

05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Pakistan‘s 127 million voters get to elect a new parliament today. The elections are the twelfth in the country’s 76-year history, which has been marred by economic crises, military takeovers and martial law, militancy, political upheavals and wars with India.

Forty-four political parties are vying for a share of the 266 seats that are up for grabs in the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, with an additional 70 seats reserved for women and minorities.

After the election, the new parliament chooses a prime minister. If no party wins an outright majority, then the one with the biggest share of assembly seats can form a coalition government.

Read the full story here:

Pakistan election: What you need to know about candidates, key issues and what’s next

Pakistan’s choice at election: The lion, the millennial or the cricketer

04:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

With PTI hamstrung by a police crackdown, the most likely winners are seen as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. After his own jail spell and exile, Sharif – dubbed the “Lion of Punjab” – is back in Islamabad and fronting political rallies where supporters carry soft toys of the big cat as well as tigers, the party’s symbol.

Completing the trio of men vying to become prime minister is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of Pakistan’s first female leader Benazir Bhutto. Despite being the face of the legacy Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he has pitched himself as the outsider who can offer a way out of the political turmoil of recent years, while also tackling issues that matter to young people in Pakistan, such as the climate crisis and youth unemployment.

Read the full story by Arpan Rai here:

Pakistan’s choice at election this week: The lion, the millennial or the cricketer

‘Outcome of elections unlikely to be stabilising’

04:27 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Michael Kugelman, Director of South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center writes: “The outcome of the elections on Thursday is unlikely to be stabilising. The next government will probably be a weak and fractious coalition; if turnout is low, it will lack a strong mandate.”

Writing in Foreign Policy, he says: “The losers will bitterly reject the elections result, hardening public anger, especially among PTI supporters. Despite everything, [Imran] Khan’s party is rallying its supporters with get-out-the-vote calls and contesting elections with independents on the ballot—but the cause is seemingly futile.”

He also believes that the country’s military may remain actively involved in politics post-elections. “Keen to play a leading role in Pakistan’s economic recovery, the military is unlikely to retreat to the barracks after the elections. This could set the stage for a new crisis — especially if PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, who sparred with the Army during his previous terms as prime minister, returns to power.”

Pakistan suspends cellular services ‘temporarily’

04:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Pakistan’s ministry of interior has “temporarily” suspended cellular services nationwide as a security measure during the general elections.

A ministry spokesperson said that this was part of efforts to maintain law and order and address potential threats as the country votes.

On Wednesday, at least 30 people were killed in multiple blasts in Balochistan.

03:18 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog on elections in Pakistan.