Pakistan Election: Dozens Killed on Voting Day

Pakistan has been hit by violence on the day of its general elections - with at least 31 dead in the worst attack. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a polling station in the city of Quetta. The Islamic State group said it had carried out the attack. Elsewhere, minor blasts and clashes left several injured and two dead. Millions have voted in the polls, with the parties of ex-cricket star Imran Khan and disgraced former PM Nawaz Sharif competing for the most seats.

Voting officially closed at 18:00 (13:00 GMT), with the results probably known early on Thursday. The campaign has been overshadowed by concerns of fraud and violence, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says there have been "blatant" attempts to manipulate the polls.

Mr Khan has vowed to tackle corruption but his rivals accuse him of benefiting from alleged meddling by the military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its history. Mr Sharif, who won the last election, has been jailed for corruption after a scandal stemming from the Panama Papers leak.

In addition to the suicide attack in Quetta, in Balochistan province, one person died in a grenade attack in Khuzdar, and another died in a shooting between political rivals in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Clashes were also reported in Mardan, Rajanpur, Khipro and Kohistan.