Islamabad, October 10
Six persons were killed in poll related violence today in Pakistan as the country went for its first parliamentary elections ostensibly meant to return power to civilians after three years of military rule of General Pervez Musharraf.

Violence took place in Sindh and Punjab when rival groups clashed with each other and opened fire killing four persons and injuring several others, reports reaching here said.

While there was no official estimate of polling percentage, political parties said the turnout was low to moderate with some booths in Islamabad registering a high turnout.

Counting of ballots was taken up after polling closed at 5.30 p.m. IST and the trends were expected later tonight.

Along with elections to the 342-member National Assembly polling was also held for the four provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan.

General Musharraf said he would transfer all executive powers to the party which wins the elections and a new civil administration would be in place by the first week of November.

Over 72 million voters were entitled to vote. A team of international observers were in Pakistan to monitor the elections.

Meanwhile, Pakistanis voted today in the first general election since General Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup, but critics said that despite pledges to restore civilian rule he would retain ultimate control.

Voting began slowly in the country’s main cities in a poll contested by 83 parties — including one widely seen as supporting General Musharraf — but from which the exiled leaders of the political mainstream have been excluded.