Counting begins in Pakistan

Islamabad, Feb 18 : The voters cast their votes for national and provincial assemblies elections in Pakistan on Monday amid stringent security measures.

In various incidents of violence 19 persons including a woman were killed and several others wounded.

Polling kicked off at 8 a.m. on Monday throughout the country and concluded at 5 p.m., after which counting has been started.

Transparent ballot boxes -- one for the national assembly and another for the provincial assembly, were 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, were printed.

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 were posted.

The election commission has postponed 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.

ANI