Suicide bomb casts election day shadow
AT LEAST 31 KILLED IN PAKISTAN
A SUICIDE bomber on a motorcycle has killed at least 31 people outside a busy polling station in the Pakistani city of Quetta, casting a dark shadow on a historic day as people cast their votes in national elections.
The attack in the capital of Balochistan province underlined the difficulties this majority Muslim nation faces on its journey towards sustained democracy, as it attempts to elect its third consecutive civilian government.
The bombing also wounded 35 people, with several reported to be in critical condition, raising concerns the death toll could rise.
As polls closed yesterday, Pakistan’s election commission spokesman Nadeem Qasim said the body had issued a notice to aspiring prime minister Imran Khan, saying his vote could be disqualified after he cast his ballot in front of television cameras, violating “the secrecy of the ballot paper” as enshrined in the constitution.
Images showed a smiling Mr Khan with his ballot paper laid out in front of him as he marked the ballot.
Voting for a national assembly, the lower house of parliament and four provincial assemblies followed a rancorous campaign marked by widespread allegations of manipulation.
Analysts and rights groups have warned of post-election instability and predicted losing parties would cry foul. The uncertainty of the outcome of the vote – no single party appears assured of a simple majority win – could also lead to a prolonged post-election period that would hamper the forming of the next government. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing but local officials were quick to blame the Islamic State group (IS).