Polls open in Pakistan amid suspended phone services day after Islamic State claims bombings

Phone services were suspended in Pakistan for security reasons on Thursday as polls opened in its general election, a day after two bomb blasts at the election offices of a political party and an independent candidate in south-west Pakistan killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens more.

Late on Wednesday, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came despite the deployment of tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces across Pakistan to ensure peace during the elections after a recent surge in militant attacks in the country, especially in Balochistan.

Millions of Pakistanis cast their votes today for a new parliament in an election that sees Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto and Khan’s party competing to lead the country for the next five years.