Pakistanis Go to Polls, Election Marred by Bombs

Defying threats of violence, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote. But militant attacks that killed 22 people underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (May 11)

SHOTLIST:

AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Rawalpindi, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar – May 11, 2013

1. Various of people voting, violence aftermath with debris, injured people

VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:

IN PAKISTAN … VOTING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS BEGUN …

AND SO HAS THE VIOLENCE …

GUNMEN OPENED FIRE ON AN ELECTION CAMP OF ONE PARTY NEAR A POLLING STATION … INJURING SEVEN PEOPLE.

SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Sheer Khan, Party worker and eyewitness:

THIS PARTY WORKER SAYS “They opened fire towards us. Our boys ran here and there.

IN ANOTHER CITY … TWO MEN ON A MOTORBIKE ATTACKED THIS PARTY OFFICE WITH A HAND GRENADE … INJURING NINE PARTY WORKERS.

AROUND PAKISTAN … AT LEAST 22 PEOPLE DIED AND DOZENS INJURED IN OTHER ELECTION VIOLENCE … BLAMED ON MILITANTS.

IN PESHAWAR IN THE NORTHWEST … A BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE A POLLING STATION, KILLING AT LEAST ONE PERSON.

THE VOTE MARKS THE FIRST TIME A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT HERE IS FINISHING ITS TERM … HANDING OVER POWER TO ANOTHER.

THE RACE IS PITTING A FORMER CRICKET STAR AGAINST A TWO-TIME PRIME MINISTER AND AN UNPOPULAR INCUMBENT.

LEE POWELL, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Related Content