Pakistan explosion – ISIS claim responsibility for Quetta suicide bomb blast that killed 32 queuing to cast election vote
About 370,000 soldiers have been stationed at polling stations across the country to prevent further attacks
AN ISIS suicide bomb blast outside a polling station left dozens dead as millions of Pakistanis voted in an election pitting cricket hero Imran Khan against the party of jailed ex-PM Nawaz Sharif.
A local official in the city of Quetta, where the horror took place, said at least 32 bodies and 35 injured people were taken to local hospitals after the attack.
Terror group ISIS later bragged one of its suicide bombers had carried out the attack, but did not provide further detail or evidence for its claim.
Khan described the horror as a "terrorist attack by enemies of Pakistan seeking to disrupt our democratic process.
"Saddened by the loss of innocent lives, Pakistanis must defeat the terrorists' design by coming out in strength to cast their vote," he added.
His opponent Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced his brother as the PML-N party's candidate, said in tweet: "Heart broken to learn of martyrdom of innocent people including police officials ... My profound condolences to the bereaved families."
A witness in Quetta, the capital of the troubled Baluchistan province, said the blast took place near a busy voting centre. It was unclear if voting had been disrupted.
Elsewhere, minor blasts and clashes between party workers left several injured and two dead.
Earler this month, a suicide bomber killed 149 people at an election rally in the town of Mastung, also in Baluchistan province. That attack was also claimed by ISIS militants.
About 370,000 soldiers have been stationed at polling stations across the country to prevent further attacks, nearly five times the number deployed at the last election in 2013.
According to the latest opinion polls, neither Khan nor Sharif are likely to win a clear majority in the election.
However, Khan has emerged as a slight favourite in national opinion polls, but the divisive race is likely to come down to Punjab, the country's most populous province.
The election has been plagued by allegations the powerful armed forces have been trying to tilt the race in Khan's favour after falling out with the outgoing ruling party of Sharif, who was jailed on corruption charges this month.
"Imran Khan is the only hope to change destiny of our country. We are here to support him in his fight against corruption," said Tufail Aziz, 31, after casting his ballot in the north-western city of Peshawar.
About 106 million people are registered to vote in polls due to close at 1pm (UK time). Results will start trickling in within hours, and the likely winner should be known by the early hours of Thursday.
Whichever party wins, it will face an uphill task of tackling an economic crisis due to worsening relations with on-off ally the United States.
Khan has promised an "Islamic welfare state" and cast his populist campaign as a battle to topple a political elite hindering development in the impoverished mostly-Muslim nation of 208m people.
"We are pitched against mafias," Khan, 65, said in one of his last rallies. "These are mafias who made money in this country and siphoned it abroad, burying this nation in debt".