<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Pakistan will hold its Parliamentary elections for the 16th National Assembly on Thursday amid political and economic turmoil. Elections to the four Provincial Assemblies will also be held on Thursday.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Local media reported that the elections will be held on 265 seats of National Assembly and five hundred and ninety seats of four provincial assemblies.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, the election is marred by allegations of pre-poll rigging by the military and against the backdrop of an economy in dire straits.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">This time, the major contenders are Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan People's Party which is led by Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Sharif's arch-rival Imran Khan, whose party won the 2018 elections, is currently behind bars and banned from contesting polls. Candidates from his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party have also been barred from contesting polls under its election symbol. They are contesting as independents in this election.</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">According to media reports, security will be a key challenge for Pakistani authorities amid surging attacks on political parties and election candidates. Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province has seen several attacks on election candidates, security forces and polling personnels. </span></p>