Live: Elections 2024

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it has resolved 76 poll-related complaints, which were received throughout the day.

According to the ECP spokesperson, most of the complaints were of a “normal nature” involving confrontations between political workers in different areas which were resolved on the spot.

The PTI has urged supporters not to leave polling stations without collecting the Form 45.

Form 45 is known as the statement of the count, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan. It is supposed to show the number of valid votes for each contesting candidate and ballot papers excluded from the count.

As Pakistan awaits the results of the 2024 general elections, Amnesty International has called the suspension of mobile and internet services throughout the day “a blunt attack on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”.

Several voters across the country faced difficulties throughout the electoral process, which began at 8am and concluded at 5pm.

“It is reckless to impede access to information as people head out to polling stations on the heels of devastating bomb blasts and what has been an intense crackdown on the opposition in the lead up to the elections in the country,” Amnesty International’s South Asia office said in a statement.

“Unwarranted restrictions on dissemination of information, despite reassurances to the contrary from the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and Election Commission of Pakistan, are in breach of people’s human rights at this critical time in Pakistan.”

Shortly after polling concluded across Pakistan, interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar congratulated the nation for the “successful conduct” of the general elections.

In a post on X, he said the high voter turnout today was a clear indication of the public commitment to shaping the future of the country.

“The voices, expressed through the votes, will contribute to the fortification of our democracy, and for that, people of Pakistan deserve every bit of appreciation,” he wrote.

The premier further commended the efforts of the security personnel, civil administration and the Election Commission of Pakistan for conducting “free and fair elections across the country”.

“Your resolve in the aftermath of the recent terrorism incidents, continuing to participate in the electoral process, is a powerful statement against the forces that seek to destabilize our nation. It underscores our collective desire for peace, stability, and prosperity.” PM Kakar added.

Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has claimed that MQM workers have fired on JI party workers and injured them in Shah Faisal Colony Number 5 area of the metropolis.

In a post on X, he claimed the MQM also captured the Shah Faisal Colony Number 2 polling station.

“MQM has been defeated by the people and efforts are being made to force mandate,” he said in a post on X.

PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari has told people inside polling stations to exercise their right to vote after the deadline.

“Stand firm and ask for your right to vote,” she said.

The deputy commissioner of Quetta has refuted rumours circulating on social media about missing ballot papers in PB-45.

Upon inquiry with the returning officer, it was discovered that the signatures presented as evidence were fake, he said.

The DC emphasised that the voting process proceeded smoothly at polling stations. Additionally, he stated his intention to file a complaint with the FIA against those responsible for spreading the false claims.

Polling marred by rigging allegations and cellular and internet outages has concluded across Pakistan.

The voting process began at 8am and continued till 5pm.

The Election Commission of Pakistan earlier said that exceptions would only be made for people already inside the polling station.

PTI has claimed that efforts are underway to halt voting in Karachi’s Askari 4. It alleged that only two polling officers were present inside the polling station in the NA-236 constituency.

“Other staff have fled,” the party said in a post on X, adding that polling started just a few minutes ago.

“The Election Commission has failed as always!” the PTI added.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reiterated that polling across the country will end at 5pm.

In a statement on X, the electoral watchdog said exceptions would be made for people already inside the polling station.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has admitted that the interim government cannot “guarantee” free and fair elections. He passed these remarks in an interview with Sky News on the eve of general elections.

Additionally, he told Sky News that there is no attempt to “target a specific party or group” amid claims of pre-poll rigging and candidate harassment.

The JI claims polling stations in Karachi’s NA-236 constituency are overcrowded and over 200 people are standing outside the office.

The post stated that men were unable to go inside and the women who did go inside complained that polling booths for men and women had been set up in the same room and the book of voter lists is missing.

PTI, in a post on their X account, has alleged that PML-N workers are bullying voters in Punjab’s Khushab district.

“PML-N bullying continues even in Khushab, the journey from ‘respect the vote’ to ‘stealing votes by harassing voters’ continues rapidly!” PTI said in a post on their X account.

Caretaker Federal Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz visited various polling stations along with ICCPO Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, Islamabad Police shared on social media.

The officials met the citizens exercising their right to vote and claimed that “people appreciated the security arrangements made by the Islamabad Police”.

The PTI has demanded an extension in the polling deadline, which ends at 5pm.

In a statement on X, the party’s chief organiser Omar Ayub said a large number of voters came out today despite multiple hurdles. “There have been a lot of complaints from the election staff about the delays in the polling process,” he stated.

He added that the PTI would submit a formal application for the extension in the deadline.

Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai has said the electoral process in the province is running smoothly until now and hoped that the same would continue until evening.

“The condition is peaceful in the province and people are coming out to cast their vote,” he said, adding that “terrorists have lost”

“Like other provinces, Balochistan will deliver results after 5pm,” the minister said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan said it received 55 poll-related complaints of which 45 had been resolved while work was underway on the remaining ones.

In a statement, ECP spokesperson Haroon Shinwari said the complaints were regarding clashes, which were solved on the spot.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has said that “the majority of the voters received polling information by messaging 8300”, stating that the electoral watchdog was receiving on average 1.5 to 2 million messages each day.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said that the messaging service had been functional since January 29.

He further said that voter registration details were present with the provincial election commissioners as well.

Fixit founder Alamgir Khan says voting has begin at the Askari 4 polling station in Karachi’s NA-236.

Earlier, several reports of a delay in the polling process had emerged.

Chair of the Commonwealth observer group, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has said he is “quite pleased” with security arrangements across Islamabad.

“We have seen that the government is working to ensure that elections are credible,” he said while speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz.

“We encourage people to come out and vote because that is the only way you can consolidate democracy in the country,” he added.

Jonathan said a comprehensive assessment of election related security arrangements will be shared on Sunday.

Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz has said polling has been smooth in Islamabad and throughout the country.

He made his comments at a press conference alongside the chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

“By the grace of God, voting has been smooth in Islamabad. The camps of every party are present,” he said, adding that he hopes that whichever government comes into power will take Pakistan forward.

The PPP has urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to “issue instructions” on the matter of internet services being suspended across the country, which it says has “impacted voter turnout”.

In a letter, PPP Central Election Cell Incharge Senator Taj Haider said that the party conveyed its “deep concern on the unannounced disruptions of internet”.

Haider pointed out the government’s move was in violation of the 2018 order by the Islamabad High Court that declared the suspension of mobile phone services on the pretext of “security concerns” illegal.

“The closure has also adversely affected reporting and responding to security incidents. One of our workers was shot dead in Mirpurkhas today and it was after an hour that we came to know about the murder,” the letter stated.

It also claimed that “all political parties except PML-N have objected” to the internet disruption. “In spite of our request to ECP to restore services, these services have not been restored.”

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar has expressed satisfaction at the voter turnout in Karachi.

Speaking to reporters in Karachi, he said, “The pattern is the same [during each election] — there are more crowds after lunch. The [number of] voters will increase. Even right now, the turnout is not that bad.”

CM Baqar further said that the caretaker provincial government “fully cooperated” with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct the polls. Ensuring that the polling staff reaches the stations was the duty of the ECP, he added.

The Karachi division of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has said that “massive rigging” is being carried out in the city by the PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

“The shutdown of the mobile services is proof that a plan is being made to bring the desired people. Mobile services have also been shut down to hide evidence of fraud,” the party said.

“It is unfortunate that people’s money is being wasted like this,” it added, demanding strict against those “interfering in the election process”.