The country goes for a most crucial parliamentary election on Monday amid sweeping fears of violence, allegations of rigging, and the government warning to quell any protest following the results. Leaders of two major opposition parties, PML-N and PPP, have threatened to stage agitation if polls were "manipulated"--results coming against their wishes--for pro-Musharraf (Q) League.
These polls are being closely monitored by a vast number of observers from international community, a majority of them landing in Islamabad. A delegation of US senators also arrived in Pakistan just a day ahead of the polls, while over 800 other foreign 'observers' have spread out in different parts of the country.
The balloting will begin at 8 am and end at 5 pm, to cater for over 80 million registered voters for 269 National Assembly seats and 571 Provincial Assemblies seats for the next parliamentary term.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, 64,176 polling stations with 170,000 polling booths have been set up all over the country. For this purpose, the ECP has appointed 125 District Returning Officers--mostly, District and Sessions Judges--484 Returning Officers, also mostly from the judiciary, and 1027 Assistant Returning Officers, to conduct the elections with 572,000 other polling personnel.
The government has deployed some 81,000 troops at around 9,000 sensitive polling stations to maintain peace during the polls. A total of 430,000 transparent ballot boxes, with plastic seals, and 300,000 portable voting screens, have been imported with the help of foreign donors that are to be used in the elections.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has fielded the largest number of candidates for National Assembly seats across Pakistan, with 29 of 35 NA constituencies in NWFP, in 13 of 14 Balochistan NA seats, 144 in 148 of Punjab seats and 61 of 65 NA seats in Sindh.
According to PML-N, its 27 candidates are contesting from NWFP, 141 from Punjab, 38 from Sindh and 8 from Balochistan while Pakistan Muslim League (Q) has 21 candidates contesting from NWFP, 12 from Balochistan, 137 from Punjab, and 24 NA seats from Sindh.
According to the ECP, total 1003 candidates are contesting for 148 NA seats from Punjab, 627 for 61 NA seats from Sindh, 262 for 35 NA seats from NWFP and 143 candidates for 14 NA seats from Balochistan, while 182 candidates are contesting for 11 seats from FATA.
Surveys conducted by an international organisation have predicted that opposition parties would win the polls, provided these are held in a free and fair manner. European Union, Japan, 'Democracy International', International Federation for Elections System (IFCS), 'Sky News', BBC and numerous others agencies have sent their representatives to monitor the polls, mostly with some preconceived ideas.