The photo shows the site of a bomb explosion targeting the office of Pakistan\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Awami National Party (ANP) in Karachi, April 26, 2013.<\/p>\n
An explosion has killed at least 10 people and injured many others near a polling station in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi as voting is underway for general elections in the country.\n<\/p>\n
The powerful blast went off near Awami National Party(ANP) election office at Dawood Chowrangi, Quaidabad area of Karachi city on Saturday after polling stations officially opened at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) for the one-day elections.\n<\/p>\n
Many shops were also completely destroyed in the arrack.\n<\/p>\n
Officials said the blast targeted ANP leader and candidate, however he remained safe.\n<\/p>\n
Just after the blast, security forces cordoned off the area and shifted the injured people, including children, to hospitals.\n<\/p>\n
Meanwhile reports said, as the historic voting got underway two separate bomb attacks also hit Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar and southwestern city of Quetta on the day.\n<\/p>\n
A bomb attack targeting female voters in Peshawar wounded eight people.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cThe bomb was planted on a motorcycle. Several people including police have been injured. The motorcycle was parked outside a women’s polling station,” a senior police officer said.\n<\/p>\n
ANP is one of three secular liberal parties that have been targeted by Taliban militants during the run-up to the election.\n<\/p>\n
Bombings and shootings killed more than 130 people ahead of Saturday’s historic vote in what many observers have called Pakistan’s most deadly election.\n<\/p>\n
On Friday, an independent candidate, who had been running for a seat in the assembly of Pakistan\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Sindh Province, was shot dead in Karachi.\n<\/p>\n
Shakil Ahmed and two supporters were killed on Friday night in the Landhi area, police said.\n<\/p>\n
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group previously announced that they would target the election rallies of three political parties, the Awami National Party the MQM, and the Pakistan People\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Party (PPP).\n<\/p>\n
The voters will elect 272 legislators to the 342-member National Assembly and legislators to four provincial assemblies.\n<\/p>\n
MSH\/HN<\/p>\n<\/div>\n