The election is expected to be a tight race, with Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) against Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This election will see 272 general seats of the National Assembly and 577 general seats of the four provincial assemblies - Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan - up for grabs.
Voting has begun in Pakistan after an election campaign overshadowed by concerns of manipulation and violence. Nearly 106 million people are registered to vote for members of the lower house of parliament and four provincial assemblies.
The PTI party of former star cricketer Imran Khan is hoping to beat ex-leader Nawaz Sharif's PML-N.
Hundreds of thousands of troops will be deployed to secure the ballot, which opened at 08:00 (03:00 GMT). Votes will be cast for 272 National Assembly seats that are directly contestable.
Another 70, reserved for women and minorities, are distributed between parties that win at least 5% of the vote.
- Source: News websites
