Pakistan Election 2018 Live Updates: Polling ends, counting of votes underway

Pakistan Election 2018 Live Updates: According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), there are 3,459 candidates who are contesting for 272 general seats of the National Assembly. While there are 8,396 candidates running for 577 general seats of the four provincial assemblies - Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

Pakistan Election 2018 Live Updates: Pakistan voted on Wednesday to elect a new prime minister in the second uninterrupted democratic transition of power in the nation's 70-year chequered history. The historic elections were marred by accusations of manipulation by the powerful army and concerns over the participation of Islamic hardliners in large numbers. Ahead of the polls, Pakistan saw intense campaigning by candidates from key parties - Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan's Peoples Party(PPP). A fierce battle is expected between Imran Khan-led PTI and PMLN led by Nawaz Sharif’s brother and former Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The third in the row is PPP led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose support can be crucial in forming a government if none of the parties gets a clear majority. The voting began at 8: 30 am (IST) and ended atl 6:30 pm (IST) at 85,000 polling stations. The counting of votes will be done on the spot soon after polling is concluded and results will be announced within 24 hours. Check this section for LIVE UPDATES:

Pakistan Election 2018 Live Updates

• PTI Chief Imran Khan summoned by Election Commission of Pakistan for breaching secrecy of the ballot.

  6:06 pm: Three Pakistan army soldiers who were escorting the polling staff of NA 271 in Balochistan were martyred in an ambush last night, according to ISPR.

Three soldiers lose their lives trying to protect polling staff#ElectionPakistan2018 #DawnElections https://t.co/ENbwU2tFEx

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

6:00 pm: Polling closes in Pakistan. Only those already present in booths will be allowed to cast votes.

It's 6pm! The time for polling has ended. Only those already present at polling stations will now be allowed to #vote https://t.co/rKbspBERrR#DawnElections #PakistanDecides2018 #Election2018Pakistan #PakistanElections2018

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

5:58 pm: Election Commission of Pakistan rejects requests to extend polling time.  The PPP, PML-N, ANP and the Awami Muslim League, among other parties, had requested that the election commission consider extending the polling time due to widespread reports of the sluggish polling process.

Election Commission rejects requests to extend polling time.#ElectionPakistan2018 #DawnElections https://t.co/uNF7OcRFg2

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

5:33 pm: One hour left for polling to end PTI leader Imran Kahn's ex-wife Reham Khan posted her photograph today,hinting which party she voted for today.

Is wari......Billi pic.twitter.com/X0SacWmyMQ

— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) July 25, 2018

5:23 pm: Women turn up to vote for the first time ever in Kohistan.

Kohistan: Women turn up to vote for the first time ever#ElectionPakistan2018 #DawnElections https://t.co/jtUWCLbdOP

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

Battagram: Four dead as jeep carrying voters falls into gorgehttps://t.co/g0QqcMJtvb#DawnElections #ElectionPakistan

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

3:58 pm: Nawaz Sharif's mother casts vote in NA-124, Lahore.

A photo of Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif's mother after she cast her vote in NA-124 #Lahore https://t.co/588wMeGFuP pic.twitter.com/yKwjArrs5m

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

2: 53 pm: Only 4 hours are left for the voting to get over. 2: 30 pm: Reports from interior Balochistan — especially areas such as Mastung, Awaran and Makran — indicate that there is a high turnout of voters: The Dawn. 2: 16 pm: Former army chief, retired Gen Raheel Sharif cast his vote today in Lahore. 2: 10 pm: Voters are welcome the soldiers with flowers at the polling station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Soldier gets a 'flowery' welcome at polling station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwahttps://t.co/djFxEJ3up3#DawnElections #ElectionPakistan pic.twitter.com/8vyEyfIWZZ

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

2: 00 pm: Imran Khan's vote may be cancelled, says The Dawn. According to the report, PTI Chairman's voting exercise was captured on video, violating the ECP's "secrecy of ballot" code. ECP has taken notice of the event.

Imran Khan's NA-53 vote may be cancelled

The PTI Chairman's voting exercise was captured on video, violating the ECP's "secrecy of ballot" code. ECP has taken notice of the event. https://t.co/djFxEJ3up3#ElectionPakistan2018 #DawnElections pic.twitter.com/giwHgEy1Ur — Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

1:17 pm:

#WATCH Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and Mumbai 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed after casting his vote at a polling booth in Lahore. #PakistanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/uPYLIyHYsq

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2018

1: 00 pm: Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and Mumbai 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed after casting his vote at a polling booth in Lahore.

#WATCH Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and Mumbai 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed after casting his vote at a polling booth in Lahore. #PakistanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/uPYLIyHYsq

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2018

12: 48 pm:  Death toll for Quetta blast reaches 31; dozens injured 12: 45 pm: It is the first reaction from a political figure, Chairman of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Tahir-ul-Qadri has condemned the deadly suicide attack in Quetta.

I am saddened by the terrorist attack in #Quetta that resulted in the loss of innocent lives. To fight terrorism, civil-military institutions and the nation should be on same page. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured.

— Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri (@TahirulQadri) July 25, 2018

12: 40 pm: The death toll in a deadly suicide blast in Quetta has risen to 25, reported the Dawn. The dead include police officials are civilians. Over 30 people have been injured. The area was crowded as people were making their way to vote. The blast targeted a police van which was passing by on a road near a polling station in NA-260. Investigations are underway and an emergency has been declared at Civil Hospital where injured are being treated. 12: 35 pm: Pakistani actor Marwa Hokane who has also worked in the Bollywood film 'Sanam Teri Kasam', cast her vote today. She share her picture on Twitter.

Voted.#AbsirfImranKhan#BallaypeNishan#PakistanElections2018 P.s a sweet quick trip to my home town reminded me just how Beautiful Islamabad is. looking forward to an even more beautiful Future ❤️???????????????? #NayaPakistan@ImranKhanPTI @PTIofficial pic.twitter.com/eGvZmqdBVQ

— MAWRA HOCANE (@MawraHocane) July 25, 2018

12: 32 pm: Jibran Nasir's camp in Delhi Colony in Karachi was vandalised amid the ongoing voting in Pakistan. Take a look at the video from Jibran Nasir's facilitation camp at a polling station in Karachi that was uprooted soon after voting began.

Jibran Nasir's facilitation camp at a polling station in Karachi was uprooted soon after voting began.#ElectionPakistan2018 pic.twitter.com/vKQ2NtVYJi

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

12: 20 pm: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has cast his vote in Islamabad. "We have worked hard for this. My message is that don't let this opportunity go to waste. Vote for whoever you like but make good use of your vote," Imran Khan was quoted by the Dawn as saying. 12: 18 pm: JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman has cast his vote in Dera Ismail Khan's NA-38. (Twitter/Dawn) 12: 14 pm: Watch Video: Quetta bomb blast-

It's a deadly morning in Quetta as the death toll from the blast targeting a police van has risen to 15, according to sources at Civil Hospital. pic.twitter.com/SRaREWGyau

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

12: 10 pm: In the latest update, firing at Nasirabad polling station leaves 2 injured. 12: 05 pm: Pakistani theatre actor Hamza Ali Abbasi cast his vote today. He shared selfies of your inky thumb and encourage everyone to go out and vote.

#ElectionPakistan2018 PLEASE GET OUT NOW AND VOTE!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/68mQhadi5R

— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) July 25, 2018

12:01 pm: It's a deadly morning in Quetta as the death toll from the blast targeting a police van has risen to 15, according to sources at Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, 2 dozen people are injured in Quetta NA-260 blast, reported Dawn. 11: 57 am: Also Read| Pakistani channels directed to not air election-related content 11: 45 am: Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and Mumbai 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed casts his vote at a polling booth in Lahore.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed casts his vote in Lahore.#ElectionPakistan2018 pic.twitter.com/JAKosxqPld

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) July 25, 2018

11: 25 am: Supporters of two rival parties exchanged fire outside a polling station in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa today, killing a worker of former cricketer Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and injuring two others, police said.  The incident occured at the polling station in Nawan Kali of Swabi district after voting opened for the general elections. According to a police officer, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf worker was killed as party activists clashed with Awami National Party supporters. n a separate incident, four persons were injured in a cracker blast outside a political camp in Larkana 11: 30 am: Several injured in a blast near eastern bypass in Balochistan's Quetta: Pakistan media 11: 19 am: There are also reports of a man being arrested from Shamsabad in Rawalpindi. He was reportedly trying to smuggle a mobile phone into the International Public Secondary School polling station. 11: 05 am: Women have started voting in Swabi District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite a ban placed by a local jirga, Dawn reported. Army and police personnel are facilitating the process, bringing the female voters to polling stations. 10: 50 am: The party workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf and Awami National Party have reportedly clashed in PK-57 constituency of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One PTI worker has died and two others have been injured in a firing incident related to the clash, as per the report by the Dawn. 10: 33 am:  Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif while interacting with media before casting his vote in Lahore's Model Town, reiterated the promises made by the party during the election campaigns. "Do not waste your time. Get out of your homes and cast your vote. We will change the destiny of this country through the power of people. If we come into power, we will end poverty, give education to everyone, make millions of homes, build Bhasha dam," he said, as quoted by the Dawn. 10: 25 am: Meanwhile, the police have taken into custody an unidentified man who tried entering a polling station in Karachi's Bihar Colony, which falls under the NA-246 constituency. As per the report, the man was reportedly trying to cast a counterfeit vote. 10: 15 am:  According to a Dawn correspondent, voting in Nawabshah did not begin on time as polling agents were not allowed to enter polling stations at 8am. 10: 00 am:  Long queues can be witnessed outside all polling stations in various cities of Pakistan. In addition to male voters, long queues of women can also be seen. 9: 52 am: Voting is underway amid tight security in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan. 9: 45 am: Benazir Bhutto's daughters cast their vote

Daughters of Benazir Bhutto- Bakhtawar and Aseefa after casting their vote in Sindh's Nawabshah. #PakistanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/6iZTPSozGb

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2018

9: 30 am: DAWN reports, the early-morning turnout in Nawabshah city seems lower than it was in 2013, according to Dawn correspondents. 9: 23 am: Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Asifa Bhutto Zardari and their aunt Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho have reached polling station in Nawabshah's LBOD Colony to cast their votes. Their vote is in the NA-213 constituency from where Asif Ali Zardari is a candidate. 9: 12 am: Visuals from polling booth in Lahore

#PakistanElections2018: Women queue up outside a polling booth in Lahore to cast their votes. pic.twitter.com/ebDUU2nfst

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2018

9: 03 am: More than 17,000 polling stations have been declared sensitive across Pakistan, while CCTV cameras have also been installed at the polling stations, reported Geo TV. 8: 57 am: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif reaches poll booth to cast his vote

Lahore: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif stand in a queue outside a polling station in Model Town to cast his vote for #PakistanElections2018 pic.twitter.com/d6AErF3LSv

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2018

8: 42 am: Taking into account the wave of violence and terrorist attacks witnessed in the run-up to the elections, Peshawar's deputy commissioner has arranged 1,000 kafans (burial shroud) as a pre-emptive measure. The troops have been deployed to provide mandated assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct polls, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). 8: 38 am: Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed and son-in-law Khalid Waleed are also contesting in the elections. They are among 260 candidates fielded under the umbrella of 'Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek', which was registered with the Election Commission in 2011. 8: 33 am: Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), which critics say has the covert backing of the military establishment, is said to enjoy a slight lead over its rivals and the flamboyant politician has threatened to upset the traditional political bigwigs. 8: 31 am: Voting begins for Pakistan general elections 2018! 8: 29 am: While the country is gearing up for the polls, Nawaz and his daughter, Maryam, are currently lodged in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, after being convicted in the Avenfield reference case. 8: 25 am: Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as the Prime Minister and as a Member of the National Assembly in July last year after the Panama Papers case decision. After Sharif's disqualification, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was elected as 18th Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly in August 2017. 8: 22 am: In the previous elections, PML-N, led by former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, emerged as the largest party with 166 seats out of a total of 342 in the National Assembly. Although the seats were short of a majority, Sharif was able to form a government after several independents joined his party. 8: 19 am: The Pakistan government has also declared July 25 a public holiday in an effort to encourage maximum voter participation. 8: 12 am: Polling will end at 6 pm after which counting of votes will begin. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has requested the media not to air unofficial results before 7 pm (PST). 8: 08 am: To ensure a safe election, as many as 800,000 law enforcement and army personnel have been deployed across the length and breadth of the nation. 8: 02 am: As many as 105.96 million people will be able to use their right to vote. Twenty-three percent of the total voters would be taking part in the exercise for the first time. 7: 56 am: The military has ruled Pakistan through various coups for nearly half of the country's history since independence in 1947. Even during the civilian rule, the generals have wielded enormous power, setting the agenda for the country's foreign and security policies. 7: 50 am: 105.96 million registered voters are all set to decide Pakistan's fate today. Around 220 million ballot papers have been printed for the election. The color of ballot paper for the National Assembly is green, whereas white colored paper shall be used for the Provincial Assembly. 7: 45 am: Welcome to APB News LIVE blog. In the backdrop of a checkered political history, Pakistan goes to vote in the 11th general election today. Amid tight security, the voting will begin at 8 am at 85,000 polling stations. Follow to get the latest updates.