Tense Pakistan goes to the polls today The national vote will mark the first-ever transition from one elected government to another after a full five-year term in the country's history. More than 115 people have died since April in shootings and bombings. Responsibility for most of the attacks was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban rebels, who earlier vowed to target secular parties for their opposition to the Islamists' insurgency.
A few right-wing groups considered supportive of the militants have also suffered deadly violence. The Taliban did not claim responsibility for these attacks, although they had extended their threats to anyone supporting the "un-Islamic" system of electoral democracy. Key political challengers made final calls to their supporters just before midnight (1900 GMT Thursday), as election rules barred campaigning on the day before the ballot.
A caretaker government has been in office since March and will hand over power after the elections. More than 86 million Pakistanis are eligible to cast ballots on Saturday, and opinion polls suggest a larger turnout compared to the previous 44 per cent. Authorities are deploying more than 600,000 security and military personnel across the country to ensure security amid ever-present threats of Taliban violence.