Musharraf, Zardari cast their ballots

Musharraf voted at a polling station in Rawalpindi while Zardari voted amidst tight security at Nawabshah in Sindh.

President Pervez Musharraf, caretaker prime minister Mohammedmian Soomro and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari were among political leaders who cast their votes in the country's general election on Monday.

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Musharraf voted at a polling station in a school in the garrison city of Rawalpindi while Soomro cast his ballot at Jacobabad in the southern Sindh province.

Zardari, whose party is widely expected to emerge the single largest group in the next parliament, voted amidst tight security at Nawabshah in Sindh.

He was driven to the polling station in an armoured car and was ringed by dozens of private security personnel as he entered the boot.

Zardari, who had not exercised his franchise in almost a decade, said he was "very happy" to vote. He left the station after flashing a victory sign to his supporters.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman was among those who voted in the North West Frontier Province, where the turnout was very poor due to fears of violence.

The election campaign in northwestern Pakistan was marred by a string of suicide attacks that killed dozens.

Rehman voted at his native village near Dera Ismail Khan in the NWFP.