ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistanis voted today for a new parliament in elections shadowed by fears of violence and questions about the political survival of President Pervez Musharraf — America’s key ally in the war on terror.
The vote was delayed seven weeks after former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Dec. 27.
“We pray to God that there is peace,” said Kanwar Mohammed Dilshad, deputy chief of the Election Commission. “We pray for record turnout.”
The start of voting was slow in major cities such as Islamabad and Lahore. But 10 men stood in line at a polling station early today in Nawab Shah, the southern hometown of Bhutto’s widower, now the leader of her Pakistan People’s Party.
“My vote is for the PPP,” said Munir Ahmed Tariq, a retired police officer. “If there is rigging this time, there will be a severe reaction. This is a sentiment of this nation.”
The outcome remained tough to call because of the scarcity of reliable polls, but Musharraf, who was re-elected in October to a five-year term, faces growing public anger over his moves last year to declare emergency rule, purge the judiciary and curb independent media. An overwhelming victory by the opposition would leave him politically vulnerable, even at risk of impeachment.
Two public-opinion surveys by U.S. groups have suggested that if the election is fair, Bhutto’s party will finish first, followed by another opposition party led by ex-Premier Nawaz Sharif. The pro-Mu shar raf party — the Pakistani Muslim League-Q — is trailing in third.
Musharraf opponents repeated accusations Sunday — denied by officials — that the government plans to rig the balloting.
Sharif, ousted by Musharraf in a 1999 military coup, warned that if the results are rigged, the opposition will launch a nationwide protest movement “from which those rigging it will not be able to escape.” But the PML-Q still predicts it will fare strongly in rural areas of the largest province, Punjab.
Musharraf has warned he would not tolerate protests by disappointed opposition parties. That could set the stage for a dangerous confrontation in this nuclear-armed nation.
A series of deadly suicide attacks have left hundreds dead in recent weeks, including 46 who died Saturday in a car bombing against a campaign rally in northwest Pakistan.
More than 470,000 police and soldiers have been deployed throughout the country to guard against further attacks.
Early today, a bomb exploded in a school to be used as a polling station in the district of Swat, shattering windows but hurting no one, police officer Shams-ur Rehman said.
In Lahore, gunmen opened fire late Sunday on supporters of Sharif’s party in two incidents, killing two men and wounding 12 others, police said.
