Pakistan starts vote count, clear picture expected early Friday

Islamabad, February 8

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Pakistan began counting votes after polling ended on Thursday in a general election marred by militant attacks and suspension of mobile phone services, with authorities saying that at least nine people had been killed nationwide.

The vote was held as the South Asian country struggles to recover from an economic crisis while it grapples with rising militant violence in a deeply polarised political environment.

TV channels are expected to make projections of first results a few hours after voting closed at 5 pm (1200 GMT) and a clear picture is likely to emerge early on Friday as counting continues through the night.

The national assembly has 265 seats and polling in one seat was postponed due to the death of a candidate. A party needs 133 seats for a simple majority but many analysts believe the vote may not produce a clear winner.