Pakistan is electing a new parliament in a vote plagued by deep divisions and cries of foul

Pakistan is electing a new parliament Thursday as surging militant attacks and cries of foul have cast a shadow over the vote and deep political divisions make a coalition government seem more likely

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan is electing a new parliament on Thursday as surging militant attacks and cries of foul have cast a shadow over the vote and deep political divisions make a coalition government seem more likely.

The election comes at a critical time for this nuclear-armed nation, an unpredictable Western ally bordering Afghanistan, China, India and Iran — a region rife with hostile boundaries and tense relations. Pakistan's next government will face huge challenges, from containing unrest, overcoming an intractable economic crisis to stemming illegal migration.

Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed at polling stations across Pakistan to ensure tight security. Still, on the eve of the election, a pair of bombings at election offices in the restive southwestern Baluchistan province killed at least 26 people and wounded more than two dozen others.

The balloting has also been marred by allegations from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan that its candidates were denied a fair chance at campaigning in the runup to the vote.

The cricket star turned Islamist politician — ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022 — is now behind bars and banned from running but still commands a massive following. However, it remains unclear if his angry and disillusioned supporters will turn up at the polls in great numbers.