Lahore - However, Khan didn't win an outright majority and must form a coalition.
Published: Sat 28 Jul 2018, 10:57 AM
Updated: Sun 29 Jul 2018, 8:07 AM
- By
- Asma Ali Zain/ Web Report
Khaleej Times brings you live and exclusive images, videos and stories from ground zero. Our City Editor Asma Ali Zain is on the ground in Lahore to track the mood of an emotionally charged nation as hopes, aspirations and fear all run high in this dynamic and diverse country.
July 27
6:14pm
Imran Khan's PTI officially declared winner of Pakistan elections
It's official: Pakistan's Election Commission on Friday declared former cricket star Imran Khan's party the winner of Pakistan's historic third consecutive election of a civilian government, but he didn't win an outright majority and must form a coalition.
After two days of vote counting, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 116 of 269 seats in the National Assembly with his nearest rival, Shahbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, winning 64 seats. Sharif, who heads the party of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, earlier rejected the results charging widespread fraud and manipulation.
Election officials said there was a 52 per cent voter turnout, down slightly from the 2013 turnout of 54.8 percent.
Voters on Wednesday elected lawmakers to both its National Assembly and its four provincial Parliaments.
Fawad Chaudhry, spokesman for Khan's party, said efforts were already underway to form a coalition, looking to both independents and allies, but the process is likely to take several days. Still, on Thursday the 65-year-old Khan made his first speech to the nation declaring his party victorious based on projections.
"Today in front of you, in front of the people of Pakistan, I pledge I will run Pakistan in such a way as it has never before been run," Khan said, vowing to wipe out corruption, strengthen institutions he called dysfunctional and regain national pride by developing international relationships based on respect and equality. - AP
4:39PM
PML-N concede Pakistan election to Imran Khan's PTI
Pakistan's former ruling party conceded defeat to cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan ahead of final results from the country's disputed election
Khan, during a speech declaring victory on Thursday, offered to investigate opposition claims of vote-rigging and said he wanted to "unite" the country under his leadership.
The party of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif's initially rejected the so far incomplete results, but by Friday its leaders accepted that Khan would be the next prime minister.
"We are going to sit on opposition benches, despite all the reservations," said Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, a parliamentarian and the nephew of Nawaz Sharif, who is in prison after being convicted on corruption charges he disputes.
The latest Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) official partial results showed Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), or Pakistan Movement for Justice party, had won 115 seats out of the National Assembly has 272 seats in total. The commission was expected to announce full results later on Friday.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had 62 seats, the results showed. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated two-time prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was third with 43 seats.
"(PML-N) would play the role of a strong opposition," said Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N president and brother of Nawaz Sharif, according to the English-language Dawn newspaper. - Reuters
2:00pm
Imran Khan's PTI leads with 115 seats
The Election Commission of Pakistan released the results of 260 out of 270 National Assembly seats.
According to Geo.TV, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is leading with 115 seats. Trailing behind is the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 62 and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 43 seats.
12:00pm
Imran Khan has swept to an emphatic victory in a disputed Pakistan election, but without a majority, he will need to enter a coalition to take power in the nuclear-armed country.
A jubilant Khan had already declared victory in the pivotal vote, which has drawn allegations from rival parties of massive vote-rigging in his favour.
The Election Commission (ECP) said Friday that with only 11 seats left to count, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) enjoys a strong lead with 114 seats, and will be the biggest party in parliament.
At a press conference, the commission said that the outgoing Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had 63 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which could prove kingmaker in a coalition government, had won 43.
The count indicates PTI will not achieve the 137 seats needed in the National Assembly to form a majority government in its own right.
Analysts had long predicted that if he took power it would have to be via coalition, with doubts over the level of support for him nationally.
But the size of his lead still took many by surprise, and had helped fuel suspicion over vote rigging late Wednesday and Thursday.
Analyst Ayesha Siddiqa said observers may have underestimated the depth of feeling among Pakistan's growing middle class.
"The military, the judiciary, the professional middle class supported him. This is a middle class revolution," Siddiqa told AFP.
10:30am
Pakistan on Friday awaited the delayed results of pivotal elections that have already seen a jubilant Imran Khan claim victory, despite allegations of massive vote-rigging in favour of the cricket hero-turned-politician.
Election officials are under fire for the lack of a result two days after ballots closed, an unprecedented delay that observers say has undermined the legitimacy of the exercise.
The vote is a rare democratic transition in the country, which has been ruled by the powerful army for roughly half its history, but has already been marred by violence and allegations of military interference.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has dismissed allegations of manipulation - blaming the delay on glitches in new, untested counting software - and said there would be a result by Friday.
The Election Commission says that with more than 80 per cent of the vote counted, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party enjoys a strong lead with 109 seats so far.
9:30am
Official results show cricket star Imran Khan won in Pakistan's polls but he will have to seek out allies to form a coalition government.
After a tediously slow count, Pakistan election officials Friday announced Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won 109 of the 269 seats being contested in the National Assembly. The election Wednesday gave his nearest rival, Shahbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League 63 seats. Sharif who heads the party of jailed ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif has rejected the results charging widespread fraud and manipulation.
9:00am
Pakistan election results 'tainted, dubious': Nawaz Sharif
In his first reaction over the general election results, Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has alleged that the polls had been "stolen" and warned that the "tainted and dubious" results would cast a "bad impact" on the country's politics.
Talking to visitors in Adiala Jail on Thursday, the incarcerated leader of the PML-N, expressed his reservations over the elections results in Faisalabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi, the Dawn reported.
He said his party candidates in these areas were in very stable position but they had been declared defeated candidates.
A number of party leaders, who visited the jail, quoted Sharif as saying that the Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had been "made victorious" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite its previous government's bad performance in the province.
Sharif said that Khan's position was much weaker this time than in 2013 when last general elections were held.
He said the polls had been stolen and the ?tainted and dubious" results would cast a "bad impact" on the country's politics, the daily reported.
July 26
7.22pm
"I'll be embarrassed to live in the Prime Minister's official residence. It's a palace. The government will decide what we will do with the PM house," says Imran Khan.
6.15pm
Final results will come out within 24 hours, says Election Commission of Pakistan. "There is no delay. 90 per cent of results have been announced by Returning Officers in the field. We have received 82 per cent out of it."
PTI chief Imran Khan addresses the media in Islamabad.
Here are some highlights:
> I thank God, after 22 years of struggle, my prayers have been answered. I have got the chance to fulfill my dream and serve the nation.
> We are witnessing the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan. The election process was completed successfully despite many terror attacks. I thank our security forces.
> We have to fight poverty, its a big challenge. China is the biggest example in front of us, it lifted 70 crore people out of poverty in the last 30 years, it was unprecedented.
> I was saddened by the way Indian media recently projected me. I am one of those Pakistanis that wants good relations with India, if we want to have a poverty free subcontinent then we must have good relations and trade ties.
> Kashmiris are suffering for long. We have to solve Kashmir issue by sitting across the table, If India's leadership is willing then the both of us can solve this issue through dialogue. It will be good for the subcontinent also.
> Afghanistan is that neighbour of ours that has seen the most human misery and damage in the name of wars. The people of Afghanistan need peace, and Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan.
4:15pm
4:13pm
4:10pm
4:09pm
4:02pm
4:00pm
I want to thank Allah for this opportunity to serve the nation. Through its ups and downs; I am grateful for being given this chance. - @ImranKhanPTI #PrimeMinisterImranKhan
- PTI (@PTIofficial) July 26, 2018
3:50pm
Pakistani voters positive about the new government coming to power in the country.
3:30pm
Imran Khan to address the nation shortly, says PTI
3:27pm
Wasim Akram paid a visit to PTI chief Imran Khan at Bani Gala to congratulate him.
3:10pm
3:00pm
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf indicated that party leader Asad Umar, who also won the national assembly seat from Islamabad (NA-54), could be the next finance minister of the country. Umar managed to retain the seat he won in 2013 in a battle with PML-N's Anjum Aqeel.
2:50pm
2:30pm
PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif met with former PM Nawaz Sharif in Adiala Jail. The meeting lasted roughly half an hour, according to Dawn News.
2:20pm
Imran Khan gets special protocol
Police officers have replaced Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan's private security guards outside his residence in Bani Gala, reports Dawn News.
2:00pm
Pakistan people's party Parliamentarian candidate Ghulam Murtaza Baloch has won election from Sindh Assembly constituency PS-88, Malir -ii by securing 22,561votes.
According to unofficial results announced by Election Commission, TPL candidate Rizwan Ahmad stood second by getting 7,694 votes while MQM Candidate Syed Abul Hassan grabbed third position by securing 5207 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 44.51 per cent.
1:50pm
ECP announces 338 unofficial results so far
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday announced unofficial results of 338 national and provincial assemblies' constituencies.
The ECP has so far received results of 73 National Assembly seats while it also got results of 265 provincial assemblies' seats of the four provinces, an ECP official said. The ECP has received results of 157 constituencies of Punjab assembly, 57 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly constituencies, 15 Balochistan assembly constituencies and 36 Sindh assembly constituencies.
In National Assembly seats, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has grabbed 22 seats so far, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) got nine seats, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPP) obtained four seats while Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) won one seat.
1:45pm
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Islam chief Imran Khan will deliver his victory speech at 4 pm (3pm UAE time) from Islamabad's Bani Gala area, according to media reports.
1:20pm
Jemima Goldsmith, the first wife of the thrice-married Imran Khan, congratulated her son's father for the win.
1:05pm
1:00pm
12:50pm
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate, Imran Khattak has won election from National Assembly constituency NA-26 Noshawara -ii by securing 90,255 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Awami National Party candidate, Jamal Khan Khattak stood second by getting 47,132 votes. The third position was grabbed by MMA candidate, Asif Luqman Qazi with 22,777 votes.
12:42pm
Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani has also been defeated by PTI's M Ibrahim Khan, according to unofficial results.
12:33pm
Shehbaz Sharif loses with 22,756 votes, to PTI's Saleem Rehman, who received 68,162 votes.
12:04pm
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) candidate Gul Zafar Khan has won election from National Assembly constituency NA-41 Tribal Area-II by securing 22,730 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Independent candidate Abdul Majeed Shah stood second by getting 14,792 votes. The third position was grabbed by Abdur Rasheed of Muttahida Majlis e Amal Party with 11,415 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 38.17 per cent.
12:00pm
11:30am
Amjad Ali of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has won election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituency PK-06 Swat-V by securing 24,225 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Awami National Party's Sher Shah stood second by getting 10,211 votes. The third position was grabbed by Haseeb Ali Shah of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) with 9,917 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 40.03%.
11:25am
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Asif Khan has won election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa constituency PK-76 Peshawar-XI by securing 19,041 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Hidayat Ullah stood second by securing 6,256 votes while Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) candidate Bahr Ullah grabbed third position by getting 6,123 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 41.69%.
11:15am
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Muhammad Saqib Khursheed has won election from Punjab constituency PP-234 Vehari-VI by securing 37,953 votes. According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Zahid Iqbal stood second by securing 34,528 votes while an independent candidate Rana Fakhar Islam grabbed third position by getting 15,146 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 55.65 per cent.
11:00am
Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) candidate Muhammad Sharyar Khan Mehr won election from Sindh Assembly constituency PS-08 Shkarpur-II by securing 37,705 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Independent candidate Amir Ali Jatoi stood second by securing 26,893 votes and Abdullah of Muttihida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMA) grabbed third position by getting 16,882 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 55.83 per cent.
10:55am
Independent candidate Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar Wattoo has won election from National Assembly constituency NA-166 Bahawalnagar-I by securing 101,811 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Syed Muhamamd Asghar stood second by getting 93,020 votes. The third position was grabbed by Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan candidate, Muhammad Arshad Khan with 18,084 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 62.92 per cent.
10:48am
PTI's Imran Khan leads with 24,317 votes and MMA's Akram Khan Durrani follows with 22,514 votes, reports Dawn News.
10:45am
Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate Syed Fakhar Jahan won election from Khaber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituency PK-21 Buner-II by securing 16,524 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Nasir Khan of Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal Pakistan (MMA) stood second by securing 15,734 votes and Qaiser Wali Khan Awami National Party (ANP) grabbed third position by getting 15,273 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 40.24 per cent.
10:35am
Mutidda Majlis-i-AMAL (MMA) candidate Anwar Hayat Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituency PK-93 Lakki Marwat-III has won election by securing 17,114 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate Tariq Saeed stood second by securing 16,342 votes. The third position was grabbed by Independent candidate Zafarullah Khan with 7,066 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 47.92 per cent.
10:30am
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Asad Qaiser has won election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituency PK-44 Swabi-II by securing 31,658 votes.
According to unofficial results announced by Election Commission, Pakistan Awami National Party candidate Gul Zameen Shah stood second by getting 20,801 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate, Mahir Khan grabbed third position by securing 17,998 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 43.79 per cent.
10:25am
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials, complained of inadequate arrangements at various polling stations in Lahore, reports ANI.
10:15am
Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaaf candidate Haleem Adil Sheikh has won election from Sindh Assembly constituency PS-99 Karachi East-I by securing 6,058 votes. According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Taj Muhammad of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) stood second by securing 744 votes and Syed Musaddiq Shah of Mutahidda Qummi Movement (MQM) grabbed third position by getting 589 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 38.02 per cent.
10:10am
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Nishat Ahmed Khan won election from Punjab Assembly constituency PP-206 Khanawal-IV by securing 51,353 votes. According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) candidate Rana Muhammad Saleem stood second by getting 47,807 votes. The third position was grabbed by Pakistan People Party Parliamentarian candidate Syed Wasiq Sarjees Haider with 6,617 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 57.05 per cent.
9:45am
Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaaf candidate Haleem Adil Sheikh has won election from Sindh Assembly constituency PS-99 Karachi East-I by securing 6,058 votes. According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Taj Muhammad of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) stood second by securing 744 votes and Syed Musaddiq Shah of Mutahidda Qummi Movement (MQM) grabbed third position by getting 589 votes.
Voter turnout was recorded at 38.02 per cent.
9:40am
The stock market shot up nearly 2 per cent in early trading on relief the likely coalition government will not be a weak one. Pakistan faces a mounting economic crisis that is likely to require a bailout by the International Monetary Fund, although PTI has not ruled out seeking succour from China, Islamabad's closest ally.
9:45am
"Imran Khan will have to take the support of Independents, who will listen only to the military. He has enough charisma to change directions for Pakistan," reported CNN-News18.
9:30am
PTI's Shahram Khan Tarakai won PK-47 (Swabi V) with 21,830 votes, as per unofficial results.
9:15am
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sher Ali Arbab from National Assembly constituency has won NA-30 Peshawar-IV by securing 73,781 votes. According to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian candidate Arbab Alimgeer Khan stood second by securing 14,593 votes. The third position was grabbed by Awami National Party candidate Muhammad Alimgheer Khalil with 11,514 votes. Voter turnout was recorded at 40.54 per cent.
9:00am
Independent candidate Abdul Ghafar Wattoo won NA-166 (Bhahawalnagar I) with 1,01,647 votes, reports The Express Tribune.
8:30am
PML-N's Muhammed Riaz won NA-123 (Lahore-I) with 97,193 votes, defeating PTI which secured 72,535 votes, according to Dawn News.
8:20am
As per unofficial results, ANP's Naeem Bazai has won PB-16 (Quetta-I) with 6,531 votes, The Express Tribune reported.
7:30am
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials are bound to provide results on Form 45,instead results were handed out on plain paper.
7:15am
With counting of votes still underway in the 11th general assembly of Pakistan, PTI supporters across the country started early celebrations in anticipation of their party's victory while PML-N cast doubts over the counting process.
The country seemed to head for a hung National Assembly late on Wednesday, as the leads from counting centres showed no party getting a clear-cut majority.
The leads, however, put Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) ahead of the rest, including Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, from its official Twitter handle, tweeted that the party is "heading right towards Naya Pakistan".
6:30am
Pakistani authorities said on Thursday full results of a general election would be delayed as cricket hero-turned-politician Imran Khan led in a partial count that opponents said was rigged.
The party of Khan's jailed chief rival, ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, called the count an assault on democracy in a country, which has a history of military rule.
July 25
11:27pm
PTI declares victory in KP province.
11:27pm
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi hosted a press conference after claiming victory in Multan.
10:50pm
According to local reports, PTI seems to have taken a lead in Punjab and KP.
9:30pm
As the counting of votes started in Pakistan on Wednesday at various polling stations, early leads showed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf ahead of Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
The voter turnout was recorded between 50 and 55 per cent of the nearly 106 million electorate, similar to the previous contest in 2013.
TV visuals showed election workers sorting through massive piles of paper ballots at polling stations across the country.
8:45pm
Imran Khan has beaten Muttahida Qaumi Movement's Ali Raza Abidi to win national assembly's seat 243. This is a big victory for PTI as Karachi has traditionally been a MQM stronghold.
7:45pm
According to non-official initial results, PTI claims to have taken a big lead in 82 constituencies as opposed to PML-N's 35 and PPPP's 20.
5:33pm
Media has been prohibited from sharing any news or election results before 7pm. The process of counting votes has started.
Major General Asif Ghafoor, Spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces, thanked Pakistanis for the respect and love they showed to the soldiers on duty at polling stations across the country - and rejecting all kinds of malicious propaganda against the army:
Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa casting his vote earlier today:
5pm
Polling in Pakistan has come to a close as the ECP refused to extend polling time citing security concerns.
4:12pm
Mushahid Hussain Syed, PML-N leader, requested the Election Commission of Pakistan to extend polling time till 7pm.
Address an emergency press conference - convened by the party - he requested ECP to let voters enter polling booths "till the last minute," The Express Tribune reported.
Regarding the polling process, he asked the ECP staff at polling stations to brief the voters properly on voting process.
ECP has refused to extend polling time.
Asif Ali Zardari, former President of Pakistan and Pakistan People's Party co-chairperson, with his daughters Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari after casting their vote today.
Pakistani celebrities, including actors and cricketers took to social media to post videos and pictures of them going to cast their ballot and urging others to get out and vote.
Here are pictures of some of the celebs flashing their inked thumbs:
3:30pm
With election fever sweeping the nation, two Pakistani grooms even skipped their weddings to cast their ballot, according to local media reports.
Talking to reporters, the two said that they wanted to fulfill their national duty before getting married.
3:15pm
PML-N is about to convene an emergency press conference in Lahore's Model Town, Samaa TV reported. The press conference will be headed by party members, Mushahid Hussain and Maryam Aurangzeb.
The party reportedly has serious concerns regarding pre-poll rigging and are seeking to extend polling time by one hour.
2:00pm
Former PML-N leader Nawaz and Shehbaz's mother cast her vote in Lahore. The leaders' aged mother was showered with rose petals as she made her way to the polling station.
1:50pm
ECP may act against Khan, Shehbaz for post-vote comments
The Election Commission took notice of Khan and Shehbaz's delivering speeches after casting their votes, which it termed as "violation of the code of conduct".
The poll panel spokesperson Nadeem Qasim told Express News that actions may be taken against politicians who delivered speeches and those who voted on-camera with their every move being monitored.
Qasim said that the vote might not be endangered, but the voter may face consequences as per the Election Commission's law. The electoral body also directed media channels to not air live media talks of candidates as long as polling was under way.
The poll body also took notice of PML-N leader and former Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif's press talk after casting his vote in Sialkot.
A day earlier, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority issued show-cause notices to several news channels for inviting candidates on their live election transmissions.
The representatives of the channels were directed to file written replies as well as appear for personal hearings on July 31.
1:45pm
The PML-N has written to the ECP seeking an extension in polling time by one hour owing to 'long queues outside polling stations', Geo.tv reported.
Meanwhile, heavy rain lashed parts of Lahore, affecting the polling process. Voter turnout is expected to pick up in the evening as the rain stop and the weather improves.
1:25pm
Transgenders not allowed to vote: For the first time in Pakistan's political history, the Election Commission in Pakistan gave the duty of "observers" during polling to members of the transgender community, however, on Wednesday in Lahore they were not allowed to vote.
"There are reports that voters from the transgender community in Lahore are not being allowed to cast their ballot in male polling stations," Dawn reported.
Members of the transgender community are not only voting in the 11th general elections but also contesting. Five transgender candidates will be in the fray.
At the onset of the election campaign, 13 transgender candidates filed their nomination papers for the contestable constituencies in both the national and provincial assemblies. But nine were forced to drop out, due to lack of funds.
Unlike women and religious minorities, transgenders do not have any reserved seats in parliament or the provincial houses.
1:00pm
President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday cast his vote at a polling station in NA-247 Karachi, South 2.
The President polled his vote at the polling station set up at Greenwich College in Clifton's Kehkashan area.
First Lady Begum Mehmooda Mamnoon also cast her vote at the same polling station.
12:25pm
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari cast his vote in NA-200, Larkana, a national constituency he is contesting from.
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