Islamabad:

Pakistan goes to the polls on Thursday in an election scarred by a rise in militant attacks, an economic crisis and a deeply polarized political environment in which many analysts believe there may not be a clear winner.

The main contest is expected to be between a candidate backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the three-time Prime Minister’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the upper hand. national election. Nawaz Sharif is considered the frontrunner.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has also campaigned aggressively in an outside bid for the top job.

Analysts say there may be no clear winner, but Pakistan’s powerful generals may play a role.

In the 76 years since Pakistan’s independence, the military has directly or indirectly controlled the nuclear-armed country, but it has insisted for years that it does not interfere in politics.

“The decisive factor is which side the powerful military and its security agencies are on,” said columnist Abbas Nasir. “Only a massive vote for PTI can change its fate.”

Imran Khan believes the military is behind the crackdown to bring down his party, while analysts and opponents say Sharif has the support of generals.

The two former prime ministers have swapped positions since the last election in 2018: Mr Khan was thought to have the support of the military at the time, while Sharif was jailed on corruption charges.

“Historically, well-crafted election campaigns have not brought stability,” Nasir said. He added, “The economic challenges are so severe and the solutions so painful, I’m not sure how anyone who comes to power will stabilize the situation.”

If the election results without the clear majority analysts predict, navigating multiple challenges will be tricky – not the least of which is seeking a new bailout from the International Monetary Fund after the current bailout expires in March. plan.

The first unofficial results are expected to be released within hours after polls close at 5pm (1200 GMT), with a clear result likely to emerge early on Friday.

Smaller parties can play a key role in forming the government, which needs 169 seats in the 336-member National Assembly. Voters directly elect 266 members, while 70 reserved seats – 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims – are allocated based on the number of seats won by each party.

Many of them have the support of Khan, and if they win, independents are free to join any party, which could change their fortunes after the vote. Mr Khan said his candidate would not support Sharif or Bhutto Zardari.

The election also took place under the shadow of increasing militant attacks. On the eve of the election, two explosions occurred at the election office in the southwestern province of Balochistan, killing 26 people.

The country is on high alert, with troops deployed at polling stations. Tens of thousands of army and paramilitary soldiers have been deployed across the country. Pakistan also said it would close its borders with Iran and Afghanistan that day for security purposes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)