Imran Khan leads in Pak polls

​Islamabad: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was leading on 94 parliamentary seats on Wednesday, while its main rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ahead on 53 seats in the initial round of the counting in an election marred by a deadly suicide attack and allegations of manipulations by the powerful military. 

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of former president Asif Ali Zardari was leading on 28 seats, indicating that he could play a 'kingmaker' in case of a hung parliament, according to media reports. Independents were leading on 20 seats. 

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) - an alliance of traditional religious parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan led by Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani and Tehreek-e-Jafaria led by Allama Sajid Naqvi - was leading on 11 seats.  A party can only form the government if it manages to clinch 172 seats in total. 

Pakistan's National Assembly comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected whereas the rest - 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.    

Earlier, the voting ended at its scheduled time despite calls by several major parties, including PML-N, PPP and PTI, to extend the polling time by an hour. They had complained of "a slow voting process" and thus sought more time to facilitate voters - a request that was rejected by the Election Commission.  

Hours after polling began for the general elections, an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up outside a polling station in Bhosa Mandi area of Balochistan's provincial capital, Quetta, killing 31 people, including policemen. 

In separate incidents, four persons were killed in poll-related violence. Clashes erupted between rival parties outside several polling stations, reports said.