Pakistan polls open for election

Published on Monday 18 February 2008 09:52

VOTING got under way today in the postponed Pakistan elections after opposition politicians voiced concerns about vote rigging.

Polls opened nationwide at 3am UK time, amid tight security after a wave of suicide bombings, and were due to close at 12noon UK time.

Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday claimed that President Pervez Musharraf was "bent upon rigging the elections" and former Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan, says Mr Musharraf would "cling to power any which way".

The country is teetering on a knife edge following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) which is the main opposition party. The elections were due to be held in December but were postponed following Ms Bhutto's assassination during an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27.

Since her death, there has been widespread and continuing unrest across large swathes of the country. Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Ms Bhutto and new leader of the PPP, called for calm on Saturday after a suicide car bombing killed 37 people at an election rally.