Pakistan goes to the polls

PAKISTAN yesterday vowed to hold parliamentary elections today despite a suicide attack on a campaign rally that killed up to 46 people, rattling voters already wary of the militant violence that has overshadowed the Islamic nation’s next step toward democracy.

The government is under pressure from its Western allies to hold a free and fair vote today.

The result of the polls will be critical for the political future of US-backed President Pervez Musharraf and a country grappling with rising attacks by pro-Taliban militants.