Imran Khan has also invoked the blasphemy controversy in campaign speeches, defending such language in a recent interview with Reuters. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan elections LIVE: The general elections in Pakistan, set to begin on Wednesday, are expected to be a quadrilateral contest with the Pakistani Army playing referee. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is still the major contender in these elections, despite its leader and ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif being put behind bars on corruption charges. His brother Shehbaz Sharif is leading the charge of the party in his absence. Follow Pakistan election LIVE updates
Read: Nawaz Sharif suffering from heart, kidney ailments, may be hospitalised
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is the main challenger on the ground. Imran’s campaign too has been mired in controversies with his ex-wife Reham Khan making a number of allegations against him in her recently launched book. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led by Bilawal Bhutto would look to extend its political territory beyond the Sindh region.
A fourth front has cropped up in the form of hardline Islamists, with many parties backed by religious extremists registering to fight the elections. The most prominent among these is Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek, promoted vehemently by UN-designated global terrorist Hafiz Saeed. However, political observers believe that it is the Pakistan Army which is going to play a decisive role in the elections.
The Pakistani Supreme Court on Monday cleared the PML-N's Anjum Aqeel to contest from NA-54 (Islamabad-III), asking the petitioner against him to approach the court after elections, Dawn reported.
PTI leader Imran Khan on Sunday said that ousted PM Nawaz Sharif is protecting the interests of India and is trying to hurt the credibility of the elections by calling them rigged.
He also said that Sharif has always tried to defame Pakistan on the international platform since he accepted the role of Pakistan in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari quipped that there will be implications for the Parliament if elections are made controversial, Pakistan news website Express Tribune quoted him as saying. He, however, shied away from identifying who is making the process controversial.
Bhutto also said that a weak democracy is better than a dictatorship.
He also addressed election rallies in Sehwan and Dadu.
Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik took to Twitter on Monday to ask whether Pakistanis on national duties abroad also be allowed to vote.
On July 5, the Supreme Court of Pakistan was informed that the casting of votes by Pakistani expats is highly unlikely this time due to lack of resources and the massive loss incurred in the process.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri alleged that the PML-N is trying to weaken the armed forces and divide the judiciary using its "ill-gotten" wealth.
Military, social media, religion card and judiciary -- these are the factors which will determine who forms the government in the upcoming Pakistan elections, a Dawn survey has revealed.
A recent survey by Pakistan daily Dawn has revealed mixed reactions among people on the question that whether the elections are going to be free and fair this time. The survey states 41 per cent people agreeing that the elections will be fair while 31 per cent voting against it. 27 per cent people remained unsure over the matter.
A recent survey by Pakistan daily Dawn has predicted Imran Khan-led PTI winning the elections. The survey collected the data from over 18,000 people, most of them aged between 18-44. The survey reveals that a large number of people who voted for PML-N in 2013 are expected to switch sides to PTI.
PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a mass rally in Larkana in Sindh province earlier in the day.
Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in jail facing corruption charges, has been advised to get hospitalised immediately after he fell ill on Sunday. Sharif is suffering from heart and kidney problems, a team of visiting doctors said.
Punjab province, with 142 seats in the general national assembly, will play a decisive role in the upcoming Pakistan elections. PML-N has an upper hand in the region, as the party picked up its 118 out of 126 seats from the region in 2013's elections.
There are a total of 342 seats in the National Assembly, 272 of which are filled by direct elections. Also, the country's constitution reserves 10 seats for religious minorities and 60 seats for women, to be filled by proportional representation among parties with more than 5% of the vote.
In an election rally in Multan on Sunday, PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif said that his party is being "pushed to the wall" and that it will crumble down on July 25. He also warned of pre-poll and polling day rigging and urged the Election Commission to take necessary precautions.