Pakistanis go to polls to elect next govt on July 25

Pakistanis will go to exercise their voting right to elect new federal and provincial assemblies for the next 5 years on Wednesday, July 25 General Elections.

All major political parties like Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Nawaz), Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Pakistan Tahik-e-Insaf of Cricketer Imran Khan, Muttahida Majlis Ammal (MMA), which is an alliance of religious political parties like Jamat Islami and Islami Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI)- Fazal, Muttahida Quomi Movement (MQM), Pak Sarzamin Party, have fielded their candidates across Pakistan. According to Election Commission of Pakistan total 122 political parties are contesting in 2018 general elections.

Imran Khan is aspirant to become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. However, the other political parties have provided a tough competition to his PTI party.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was convicted in jail for 10 years along with his daughter Mariam Nawaz (who was awarded seven year imprisonment on corruption charges, is leading PML-N, which was majority party in the last National Assembly. Last year in July, Sharif was removed from the office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on corruption charges. He was also disqualified for life from contesting in any election. In another corruption case, Nawaz was convicted in jail in July this year.

Although his party had elected old stalwart Shahid Khaqan Abbassi as new Prime Minister in August 2017, Nawaz Sharif remained unseated for the remaining tenure of the assembly.

Pakistani parliament's lower house National Assembly is comprised of 342 members. Direct elections are held on 272 constituency based seats, where are 60 are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.

Pakistani voters will also elect their representatives for four provincial assemblies. Each voter with be provided two ballot papers -- green for the National Assembly and white for the provincial assemblies.

The major political parties like PML-N, PPP and MQM have been complaining of non-availability of level playing field. They allege that Imran Khan's PTI party is being given unwanted favours in the election. Many candidates complained about pressure from the military establishment to sideline from PML-N. Three candidates along with around 200 supporters lost their lives in suicidal bomb blasts during election campaigns.

Major political party PPPP aggressively launched the election campaign led by its Chairmman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of two-time former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (who was assassinated in 2007 while leading an election rally in Rawalpindi.

Bilawal is contesting from Lyari, Karachi, where as his father and former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari who is co-chairman of PPPP is contesting from his hometown Nawabshah.

Pakistani Army has been given task to provide security in and around the polling stations. Polling will start at 8.00 am (Pakistani time) and end at 6.00 pm without break.

For the first time transgenders are eligible to cast their votes and transgender candidates are also contesting on general seats.