Pakistan will hold its 11th general election since 1970 on Wednesday. Voting will begin at 8 am at 85,000 polling stations. About 4, 00,000 police officers and 371,388 army personnel have been deployed at the booths as a precautionary security measure.
A fierce battle is expected between Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) led by Nawaz Sharif’s brother and former Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be hoping to play kingmaker in case none of the parties secure a clear majority.
The high-voltage campaign was marred by violence, including an IS-claimed attack on July 13 that killed nearly 150 people, and dominated by political controversies over the arrest of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Not a single Pakistani prime minister has completed their term yet as the Army has ruled Pakistan directly for 30 years. The military has also exerted influence on matters of national security and foreign policy during civilian regimes.
