Pak: Voting turnout 30% by midday, 60% overall expected

, May 11: Sources in the Election Commission of

said that the turnout in the country's historic elections on Saturday was around 30 per cent by midday and was expected to rise to 60 per cent before the close.

Commission spokesperson Khurshid Alam said the turnout was encouraging, adding that the rate was higher than at the same point in the last election held five years ago. The overall turnout was 44 per cent five years ago.

Political experts were divided on whether millions of enthusiastic young voters in the country would be intimidated by the Taliban threats this time. The terrorists have been trying its best to derail the democratic process and hundreds have been killed in the country in the past few months in the run-up to the historic election.

It is for the first time that a democratically elected government in the country will hand over power to another democratically elected government.

OneIndia News