Pakistan's Election Commission started to release initial results of the country's legislative election late Monday night and the latest figures showed voter turnout was below 20 percent in some polling stations.

 

 

Delegates from provincial election commissions wait for election results early in the morning, Feb. 19, in Islamabad.

 

The president of Pakistan's ruling party lost his seat in parliament in Monday's general election, local TV reported on Tuesday.

 

The Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was defeated in his seat in Punjab province by a rival candidate from the Pakistan People's Party.

 

The Election Commission publicized in a conference held at around 11:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), or over six hours after voting ended, winners of two National Assembly seats and one provincial seat in Balochistan.

 

Independent candidates Syed Akhond Zada and Shoukatullah, both from the federal administrated tribal areas, won out in their contest for National Assembly seats. Turnout at the two constituencies were 17.69 percent and 12.84 percent respectively.

 

 

Supporters of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) celebrate after hearing preliminary results in Gujar Khan, some 60 kms from Islamabad.

 

Shafiq Ahted Khan of the Pakistan People's Party won a provincial assembly seat in Balochistan. The turnout was 19.17 percent.

 

The Election Commission is still collecting data from all across the country and results are expected to be announced on Tuesday.

 

The commission said at the conference that cases of violence occurred on the election day, but none of those was at a polling station.

 

Regarding rigging complainants, it said none of them had been proved and investigation was under way.

 

Pakistan held elections Monday for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. More than 60,000 polling stations were set up nationwide for over 80 million registered voters.

 

The election was originally scheduled for Jan. 8 but the assassination of former Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in a rally in Rawalpindi on Dec. 27 last year forced a delay.

 

 

A voter presses his fingerprint at a polling station in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Feb. 18, 2008. 

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2008)