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Eleven dead in second round of Pakistan polls 1 hour, 1 minute ago
Clashes between rival political gangs in Pakistan left 11 people dead and dozens more injured as voters went to the polls in the second round of key local elections.
Tens of thousands of troops and police were deployed in "sensitive" areas across the Islamic republic of 150 million people after the first phase of the vote a week ago was marred by violence and claims of rigging.
"We will ensure law and order during polling," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP earlier. "Large scale security deployments and adequate measures have been put in place."
Although the polls were officially held on a non-party basis to prevent violent incidents, in practice political groups have been open in their support for candidates.
Nine of Thursday's deaths were in Punjab, the most populous of Pakistan's four provinces, a senior security official in the capital Islamabad and police told AFP.
Two were in the central city of Jhang, three in the town of Jaranwala and one each in the provincial capital Lahore and in the towns of Muridke and Jhelum, the security official said.
Another person died in Rawalpindi, Islamabad's crowded twin city, when two groups exchanged fire, witnesses and police said. Several people were injured in the shootout, they added.
Two people also died in Kohistan, a remote mountainous district in North West Frontier Province, the security official added.
At least 20 people were killed and more than 700 injured in the first round of the polls on August 18.
The elections are being seen not only as a test of President Pervez Musharraf's bid to sideline hardline Islamic parties, but also as a yardstick of his popularity ahead of national polls due in October 2007.
Parties loyal to military ruler Musharraf claimed victory in last week's round of voting but opposition groups, including the party of exiled former premier Benazir Bhutto, alleged widespread electoral fraud.
The interior ministry, which is responsible for security, said tens of thousands of army and paramilitary soldiers had patrolled the streets alongside police to prevent violence and attempts to rig the polls.
Some 60,000 security personnel had been deployed to protect the southern province of Sindh alone, officials said.
The polls, which were last held in 2002, were revived as part of a series of reforms brought in by Musharraf and aimed at devolving power from Islamabad by giving it to district mayors.
Musharraf and his supporters say the new system gives power back to Pakistan's poverty stricken grassroots. But critics call it a way of installing Musharraf cronies at every government level, and say it increases corruption.
Before the polls closed at 5:00 pm (1200 GMT), voters in around half of Pakistan's 100 or more districts were able to cast their ballots. The rest of the country cast their ballots one week ago.
There were around 25,000 women candidates out of more than 100,000 people standing.
Source: AFP