Pakistan General Elections 2013: Polling ends; 17 killed in violence

By midday, 30% of registered voters had turned out.  Expected 60-80% by the end of the day. The turnout in 2008 was 44% ; election commission spokesman

Women are not allowed to vote in some areas

Withstanding a looming danger of terror attacks, Pakistanis turned out to vote on Saturday.
The Pak Election Commission had extended the polling by an hour to 6pm (6.30pm IST).
The polling saw bomb blasts and violence that killed 17 people and wounded dozens underlining the risks involved in casting ballots in the country.

The violence was a continuation of what has been a brutal election season with more than 130 people killed in bombings and shootings. Some are calling this one of the deadliest votes in the country's history.

The vote marks Pakistan's first transition from one civilian government to another in its 66-year history.

The threats are such that the government has deployed an estimated 600,000 security personnel across the country to protect polling sites and voters.

Former cricket star Imran Khan, who has almost mythical status in Pakistan, has challenged the dominance of the country's two main political parties, making the outcome of the election very hard to call. He is facing off against the Pakistan Muslim League-N, headed by two-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People's Party, led by President Asif Ali Zardari.

By midday, 30% of registered voters had turned out, election officials estimated, describing the figure as "very encouraging". An election commission spokesman said they hoped for a figure of 60-80% by the end of the day.

The turnout in 2008 was 44%.

Women and the election

The election was also marred by reports that some women in the North Waziristan tribal area were not allowed to vote. Clerics using loudspeakers at local mosques in the cities of Mir Ali and Miran Shah urged women not to participate, and none could be seen at the polls.

Women in Pakistan have had to fight extensive discrimination when it comes to asserting their electoral rights. They represent only about 43 percent of the roughly 86 million registered voters. In many areas, particularly in the conservative northwest, the men decide ahead of the election that their wives, daughters and sisters will not be allowed to vote.

Some men do not consider the women intelligent enough to vote while others do not want them to leave the house because they could be seen by strange men. Others are worried about their safety.
Source: zeenews Posted by Unknown 5/11/2013