An army soldier stands with a police officer in front of a damaged Pakistan People's Party (PPP) election campaign office after a bomb blast, in Quetta, May 10, 2013.
Attack Caps Wave of Violence Ahead of Pakistan Election
Bombings on the eve of Pakistan's landmark election have killed at least four people and wounded 18 others.
The four died in a blast Friday near political party offices in North Waziristan, a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold. Earlier reports had put the death toll at five. Thirteen people were wounded.
Pakistan Elections - What's at Stake?
What's at Stake?
Voters choose members of the National Assembly, or lower house parliament
342 seats, 60 are reserved for women, 10 are reserved for religious minorities
Seats are distributed by region:
Federally Administered Tribal Area - 12 seats
Federal Capital, Islamabad - 2 seats
Punjab Province - 183 seats
Sindh Province - 75 seats
Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Province - 43 seats
Baluchistan Province - 17 seats
Voters also electing members of four provincial assemblies
A blast in the southwestern part of the country wounded five more people outside an office being used by the Pakistan People's Party.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the Taliban have carried out numerous attacks to undermine the polls and say they have dispatched suicide bombers for the national election. More than 100 people have been killed and scores wounded since late April.
Pakistan's military says it is deploying thousands of troops to polling stations and counting centers.
Pakistan's Main Political Parties
Main Political Parties Fielding Candidates
Pakistan Peoples Party or PPP
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz or PML-N
Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) or PML-Q
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI
Regional and Ethnic Parties
Muttahida Quami Movement or MQM
Awami National Party or ANP
Baluchistan National Party (Mengal)
National Party
Religious Political Parties
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI)
Jamiat Ulema Islam (Fazlur Rehman) or JUI-F.
The recent bombings of two rallies of a leading Islamic party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, strengthened views the Taliban is opposed to democracy and is targeting anyone taking part in the elections.
On Thursday, the last day of campaigning, militants kidnapped Ali Haider Gilani in Punjab province. The son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is running for a provincial assembly seat in the district
Analysts expect Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to be the likely winner in the historic parliament elections Saturday, marking the first time in the country's history that a civilian government has finished its term and will hand over power to another.
Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imran Khan had a dramatic fall at a political rally Tuesday in Lahore. However, he made a televised plea from his hospital bed Thursday for people to vote for his PTI party in the May 11 elections.
Photo Gallery:
Pakistan Prepares for Elections
Pakistanis head to the polls Saturday, marking the first handover from one civilian government to another in the country's history.
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