MORE FROM Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Armed men kidnapped Ali Haider Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and gunned down his guard in Multan on Thursday.

KARACHI -The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) which has thousands of members on Thursday threatened to boycott election duties after one of its member died under pressure from a Returning Officer.

KARACHI — Even among the colourful cast of mullahs, labourers and idealists standing in Pakistan’s elections this Saturday, Bindia Rana stands out.

Former Pakistan cricket star Imran Khan’s party was enjoying a late surge of support on Friday, the eve of a landmark election, raising the prospect of a fragmented parliament that could lead to weeks of haggling to form a coalition government.

The fate of 23,079 candidates in the race for Pakistan’s National Assembly and provincial assembly seats will be decided on Saturday.

An especially violent spate of killings, kidnappings and bombings marred the run-up to Pakistan’s nationwide election, capped by the abduction of the son of a former prime minister as he was rallying supporters on the last day of campaigning before the historic vote.

Millions of Pakistanis are expected to brave Taleban threats on Saturday to vote in elections that mark a historic democratic transition in the nuclear-armed state ruled for half its life by the army.

Cricket star turned Pakistani politician Imran Khan will not be able to vote in landmark elections on Saturday as his doctors insist he needs to stay in hospital, officials said.

Gunmen on Thursday kidnapped the son of a former Pakistani prime minister who is also standing in the country’s elections, police said.