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Polls in Pakistan Open With a Shootout
Thursday, October 10, 2002
(9:37 AM ET)
The Associated Press

In Multan in eastern Punjab, the country's most populous province, one person was shot to death when an argument spun out of control. In a seemingly unrelated incident nearby, three people suffered gunshot wounds. In a third attack another on a polling station in eastern Punjab province 11 people were wounded, several of them critically, police said. Election day violence at polling stations is common in the rough and tumble of Pakistani politics. Most voting Thursday was incident-free.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- AP
Shootouts among political rivals killed three people Thursday and marred the first general elections held in Pakistan since a 1999 military coup led by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf ended democratic rule.

Some 72 million people were eligible to vote and nearly 100 political parties were standing for the national parliament and four provincial legislatures. Polls closed with most major cities reporting a light to moderate turnout.

Pre-election opinion polls predicted a tight race despite complaints that the result will change little. Two exiled former prime ministers were effectively blocked from standing. Musharraf has already put in place laws that would keep him in ultimate control with sweeping executive powers and the army's backing -- whatever the ballot's outcome.

When he cast his vote in the city of Rawalpindi, Musharraf told reporters a new prime minister would be sworn in on Nov. 1.

Musharraf has insisted he will allow the prime minister to run the country, but he has given himself the power to dissolve parliament and sack the prime minister whenever he sees fit. The general won a controversial referendum earlier this year and will remain president for at least another five years.
(More: The New York Times News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan