Women who had been previously barred from voting in several regions, including Dir, Kohistan, North and South Waziristan, made a beeline to the polling stations on Wednesday, making the day of elections a historic one.
Around 1,500 candidates are backed by religious and hardline parties for the July 25 general elections. Some of these groups are political fronts for groups banned for anti-state activites.
Predominantly Ahmadi town of Rabwah in Punjab province is abstaining from voting on July 25 to protest laws that categorises Ahmadis as non-Muslim. They are part of the country's 500,000-strong community that self-identify as Muslim.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for all latest in-depth, on the ground reporting from around the world.
Copyright © 2021 TRT World.