A series of attacks in Mardan, Quetta, Peshawar and Karachi has marred the election. In one attack, a bomb killed 11 people and wounded another 36. About a hundred people have died so far during weeks of campaign. Pleased with the positive response of Christian voters, the National Harmony minister hopes the country can go beyond quotas and allow minorities to participate fully in the nation's political life.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Pakistani elections, the first democratic transition between elected civilian governments in the history of this populous, nuclear power, were marred today by a series of attacks and bombings that left at least 11 dead and dozens wounded. This comes after the Taliban and other extremists issued threats and calls for a boycott of the poll. Yet, despite shortcomings and failures in some polling stations, voting has continued, with a high turnout, Paul Bhatti told AsiaNews. Minister for National Harmony in the outgoing government and a Catholic, Bhatti is running for parliament (for a seat reserved for minorities) with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of President Asif Ali Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose mother, Benazir Bhutto, died in a bomb attack in December 2007.

In an address to his fellow Pakistanis a day before vote, Mgr Rufin Anthony, bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, noted that elections are at time for "peace and change." Yet, recent episodes of violence have somewhat frustrated the prelate's hopes, which are shared by Catholics, Protestants, and members of other religious minorities as well as many Muslims.

At least 11 people were killed and 36 wounded in an attack at a polling station in Karachi that targeted Amanullah Mehsud, candidate for the secularist Awami National Party (ANP), who survived the blast.

In other attacks, a polling station for women in Peshawar was hit by a blast, wounding eight. Explosions also rocked polling stations in Mardan, wounding 15, and in Quetta.

Altogether about a hundred people have died during the campaign dominated by the PPP, in government for the past five years, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which is the main opposition party, and the Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI), headed by former cricketer Imran Khan.

Still, in spite of the bombings, people are willing to wait in long queues to vote. This might result in a higher than usual turnout. Polling stations in fact opened at 8 am and are set to close at 5 pm with the first official results expected tomorrow. Overall, Pakistanis are called to renew their National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan.

In order to guarantee a smooth election, security forces are out in great numbers, with some 600,000 police and 100,000 soldiers and special operations deployed across the country.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Paul Bhatti, brother of Minorities Minister Shahbaz who was slain by Islamic fundamentalists in March 2011, said that he was "cautiously optimistic" because "people are voting in a general context of security" that cannot be perfect.

Recent bombings, he said, "have influenced the election campaign of some parties", in particular secular parties like the PPP, the NPC and the MPM whose ability to operate freely and hold rallies has been limited.

"I too wanted to organise a larger number of public events," Bhatti said, but it was impossible.

As for the Christian minority, the Catholic politician noted that its members are "going out to vote" because participation in election is "fundamental" to show one's vitality.

Bhatti is running for a minority seat in the National Assembly, one of a number of seats reserved for the country's religious minorities. To get there, his party, the PPP, must do well. At present, he is "moderately optimistic" given the record of the outgoing administration and the "natural decline" that comes from being in government for years.

However, as important as a seat may be, it is even more important to have "a clear vision of the future for the nation and for Christians, who must break out of a situation of marginalisation and isolation."

Hence, regardless of the poll's outcome, "I will continue my commitment to the 'Centre for Peace and Religious Harmony' which I founded," the Catholic leader said. In fact, "it has recently begun to operate in the social and cultural fields with the goal, one day, to go beyond quotas for minorities and see Christian candidates direct selected." (DS)

• pakistan
• elections
• paul
• bhatti