Pakistan polls satisfactory 839 seats :CEC

Former premier and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif today said he would meet PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and leaders of other democratic forces soon to discuss the formation of a new government, hours after the two opposition parties emerged as the largest groups in Pakistan's Parliamentary polls. "I invite everyone to sit together and rid Pakistan of dictatorship for all time," Sharif said. PML-N bagged 65 seats and became the second largest party after PPP, which bagged 85 seats out of 248 results announced so
far. "We will cooperate with (all democratic forces) and try to seek
their cooperation.To accomplish this democratic agenda, all of us
must unite on one common platform." Sharif said he will meet Zardari on
Thursday, while insisting that the deposed members of the superior
judiciary should be reinstated so that they can decide on the legality
of Pervez Musharraf's re-election as President in October last year.
"I have already discussed this matter with Mr Asif Zardari and I
told him that Pakistan's judiciary independence is very strongly
linked with its restoration. It is dependent on the restoration of the
judiciary. Unless the judges are restored, the judiciary cannot attain
any independence," he said.

Unofficial results of 256 National Assembly seats Pakistan Peoples Party has won 87 seats, while Muslim League-N remain victorious at 66 seats and former ruling party PML-Q trailing far behind with 38 seats.
Awami National Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement have won 19 seats each, while other political groups and independents won 27 seats.The vote turnout remained at 45.6 percent at 181 constituencies of the National Assembly, the election commission sources said. As counting continues the results show ruling PML-Q President Musharaff party and his alliance falls short of majority.Benazir PPP party and Nawaz PML -N voters together show their strength and duo alliance likely to form Federal Government.

Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (Retd.) Qazi Muhammad Farooq Monday said the Election Commission of Pakistan fulfilled its duty by holding free, fair and transparent General Elections-2008 across the country in a peaceful environment.Addressing a jam-packed first press conference hours after the close of polling for election-2008, he lauded the role of media towards maximizing the voters’ participation in the polling process.Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians’ candidate and former federal minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar inflicted defeat on President PML-Q, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain with a considerable margin of 13293 votes. Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) candidate Hanif Abbasi defeated former federal Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmeds in  Rashid 's stronghold Rawalpindi and loss to PML Q ther ruling party.

Pakistan Polls Fourteens Killed:
ISLAMABAD: Voting ended across the country for elections 2008 at 5:00 pm on Monday.Large number of people exercised their right of vote countrywide. Fourteen people including UC Nazim and a woman have been killed and several wounded in firing and violence incident during elections in different parts of the country. Generally, voting was concluded in a peaceful manner in most of the constituencies. Counting has begun at the end of polling and official result would be announced later.

KARACHI: Election related tiffs among the supporters of the political parties in different areas here left over 12 persons wounded, while the police taking 18 persons into its custody recovered weapons from their possession, however, the overall situation remained satisfactory.
The incidents of brawls among the supporters of the candidates outside the polling stations took place at Landhi, Quaidabad, Ranchore Line, Lyari, Baldia Town, Orangi Town, PIB Colony, Nazimabad, North Karachi, Kemari, Shah Faisal Colony, Sher Shah and Malir, when over 12 persons were wounded in free for all use of batons and sticks. Incidents of aerial firing in different areas also took place, however, no injury or death was reported.
Police and Rangers outside the sensitive polling stations mediated in the political parties brawls and tried to pacify the situation. Police arrested 18 persons from the Baloch Colony, Garden, Orangi Town, Landhi and took the weapons into its custody. Situations at the polling stations also turned grave, when a few polling agents were tuned out of the polling stations in different areas. However, overall law and order situation in the city remained peaceful.

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan go to polls as more than 81 million voters are
eligible to exercise their franchise in the polling that began at 8 AM
today and will continue till 5.00 PM and the first result are likely to
be announce late night.Wee hours before the polls, the southern
Balochistan province was rocked by a series of 20 blasts while a PML-N
candidate and three other persons were gunned down in two incidents of
violence in the central city of Lahore.Suspected militants also blew up
a polling station in the restive Swat valley in northwestern Pakistan.
Polling for 268 seats of the national assembly and 570 seats of the
provincial assemblies kicked off at 8.00 A.M. Monday morning, which
will continue without any break until 5.00 P.M. in the evening. All
arrangements have been finalized for making the election process
transparent and peaceful.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has said that polling was on
satisfactorily.Talking to media representatives, CEC Justice ® Qazi
Muhammad Faruque said that the polling process was continuing
satisfactorily, however, nothing could be said about the turn out. He
said that a few minor incidents of ghost polling stations could take
place, as the election was a major event. He urged upon the electronic
media to refrain from the repeated hammerings on the incidents taking
place during the polling.Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad
announced to postpone the polling in NA-37 Parachinar-2. Earlier, the
election was postponed in NA-42 Tribal area VII in view of the bad law
and order, while in NA-119 Lahore-II due to the death of a candidate
Tariq Banday and in NA-207 Larkana cum Shikarpur due to PPP Chairperson
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s murder in suicide attack. Elections would be
held later on in these constituencies.
In four Punjab Assembly constituencies—PP171, PP141, PP99 and
PP70—the elections would be held later on owing to the demise of the
candidates from their respective constituencies.In three NWFP Assembly constituencies—PF92, PF81, PF59—the elections have also been postponed owing to the demise of candidates.There are 2,234 candidates contesting for the 269 general seats of the national assembly, while 5,017 candidates are contesting for 570 seats of the provincial assemblies and elections in the 7
constituencies out of the 577 would be held later on.There are 262 candidates for NA seats in NWFP; 179 candidates for 11 FATA seats; 34 candidates on two Islamabad seats; 999 candidates on 147 Punjab seats; 617 candidates on 60 Sindh seats and there are 43 candidates in Balochistan contesting on 14 NA seats.There are 2272 candidates contesting for 293 seats of Punjab provincial assembly; 1468 candidates for 130 seats of Sindh Assembly;736 candidates for 96 seats of NWFP Assembly and 541 candidates are
contesting for 51 seats of Balochistan Assembly.

Following the completion of polling, counting will start.
Transparent ballot boxes–one for the national assembly and another for
the provincial assembly, will be kept for casting of the votes. Over
160 million ballot papers–the white one for the national assembly and
the green one for the provincial assembly, have been printed for this
purpose.Election Commission has set up over 64,000 polling stations all
across the country-382 polling stations in Islamabad, over 37,600 in
Punjab, over 13,400 in Sindh, over 8,100 in NWFP, over 3,400 in
Balochistan, while 1,122 polling stations set up in FATA, where more
than 5,61,000 presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and
polling officers have been posted.All major parties of the country were participating in the elections, which included Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Muslim League-N, besides a large number of independent candidates are in the
field.
Strong contingents of Police and Rangers have been posted at the
polling stations for meeting any eventualities and maintaining law and
order, besides army will remain stand-by for their help.
On the polls day today, Pakistan army has considerable presence in sensitive areas of the country.The Polling has been suspended in northwestern Parachinar region in Kurram tribal agency due to suicide bomb attack on Saturday, in which 49 people were killed on the last day of polling.
Security beefed up along the border with Afghanistan, with a large
contingent of Khyber Rifles and Frontier Constabulary deployed in
Khyber Agency, where Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan had gone
missing last week.
Opposition leaders alleging that the government will resort to
“massive rigging” to benefit the ruling PML-Q, opposition parties have
given calls by the Pakistan People’s Party and PML-N have warned that
they will launch street protests if they are denied victory in the
polls.Over 10,000 Pakistani and foreign observers are monitoring general elections in Pakistan.The election commission has issued 1050 accreditation cards to foreign observers and 4600 cards to the local observers. Foreign
observers mostly came from United States, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark,
Britain, Germany and France as well as from Japan, Bosnia, China,
Nigeria, Belgium, India, Estonia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Moreover, observers have also arrived in Pakistan from Holland, Scotland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Hungary.
The foreign office has issued visas to 3000 foreign observers that
will be lapsed on February 25. The election authorities have also
issued observers’ cards to the diplomats of America, Britain, Canada
and Japan.Provincial election commissioners of Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and
Lahore and 125 District Returning Officers have also issued accreditation cards to over 4400 observers.Mr. Grant, a representative of International Foundation For Electoral System, was also reached Islamabad. He would monitor 1600 complaints received to the election commission headquarters in
Islamabad about irregularities.Chairman, foreign committee, US Senate Joseph Biden, Senator John Kerry and Senator Chuck Hegel have also reached Islamabad and attended an election briefing along with the US ambassador.
The US team will visit the provinces to monitor the polling and
counting process. The US team will release its report about the
elections on Tuesday before returning back to home.