al jazeera

By Faras Ghani and Usaid Siddiqui

    Suspension of internet and mobile networks ordered throughout Pakistan after voting started.

    Polls opened at 8am (03:00 GMT) and will close at 5pm (12:00 GMT). Polling may be extended in some areas as per election commission’s rules.
   Voters will cast their ballots for two legislators to represent their constituency – one federally and the other provincially.
   There are 5,121 candidates contesting for the federal legislature and 12,695 for the provinces.
   A major crackdown on the biggest opposition party and its leader, former PM Imran Khan, has fuelled concerns that the polls will not be free and fair.
   At least 24 people killed in two attacks on candidates’ political offices in Balochistan province on Wednesday.

    Slow start to the day in Lahore

by Abid Hussain

    It’s been more than two hours since polling started, but voting activity in parts of Lahore remains slow.

    Police personnel posted at a polling booth across the historic Lawrence Garden in the city tell Al Jazeera that less than 100 people have turned up to vote so far.

    Touqir Ahmed, a 58-year-old voter, said he came to vote with his family and the procedure was smooth and staff was helpful. His daughter said that in her voting room, she was the only one who cast the ballot.

    “The entire hall was empty,” she said.

    Suspension of mobile services an issue for election observers, voters

by Assed Baig

    We have spoken to some local election observers who are saying what they’ve seen so far in terms of polling arrangements is fine “but let’s see what happens”.

    The suspension of internet and mobile networks is an issue for them because they have to go to different polling stations and need to communicate with other observers.

    But the suspension of internet services is also an issue for people who are voting. It is affecting people who are using apps and websites to see who they will be voting for, and what their election symbol is.

    And the party that’s going to be most affected by this is the PTI because it has relied heavily on social media.