WASHINGTON

The American print and electronic media is highlighting the election-related developments inPakistan, with major newspapers pointing out that the two main contenders for power — PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif and cricket legend Imran Khan — had pledged to limitUSinfluence in the South Asian country.

Correspondents and analysts have particularly acknowledged the voters enthusiasm in defiance of the Taliban threats of violence, which has already claimed dozens of lives in the election season.

Also, New York Times correspondent Declan Walsh, who has been served an expulsion order, wrote from Lahore, “Unlike previous elections, in which the military’s Inter Services-Intelligence Directorate (ISI) had been widely accused of vote manipulation and intimidation, there was little evidence of involvement in this campaign by the military, which has ruled Pakistan directly for more than half its 66-year history.”

The Washington Post said in a lead editorial that the outcome of historic polls could cause complications for US.

“For all that, there’s not much reason for optimism that the multiple problems that bedevil US-Pakistani relations will get any easier. Infact, some may get worse.”

In this context, the Post said both front-runners were “softer on the Pakistani Taliban and tougher on theUnited Statesthan is either the military or the current civilian government.

“ Sharif has promised to negotiate with the jihadists, while Khan says he will end ‘America’s war’ against them and shoot down US drones,” the Post said.

“While sparing the parties of Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif, it has conducted a wave of bombings and assassinations directed at secular parties; more than 100 people have been killed. The Chairman of the ruling PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has been limited to making appearances by video”; according to some accounts, he is based inDubai.

“The son of Yousuf Raza Gilani, the party’s former Prime Minister, was kidnapped Thursday.”

The New York Times said that both Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan had promised to “rein in”USinfluence inPakistan.

The conservative Washington Times said, “Pakistan’s historic national elections on Saturday will likely produce a hung parliament and a government intent on distancing itself from theUS.”

The Christian Science Monitor said, “Despite the violence, many see the election — the country’s first transition between an elected government fulfilling its term to another — as a key step to solidify civilian rule in a country that has experienced three military coups.”

On its website, CNN news channel observed that “sporadic violence aimed at polling stations failed to deter high turnout amongst Pakistanis voting in Saturday’s landmark National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies elections, with long lines reported in some places.”

Analysts were particularly interested in gauging the impact of addition of 40 million new voters.

In its editorial, The Washington Post noted thatPakistan’s election “is being celebrated as paving the way for the first transfer of power from one elected government to another in the country’s history.”

Forty million new voters are registered, and a third of all those on the rolls are under the age of 30.

The newspaper saw the balloting producing a stronger set of civilian leaders, to address challenges facing the country.

The Monitor in its report also cited average Pakistanis, who seemed determined to cast their ballots despite the violence.

“Yes, there are fears. But what should we do?” said Ali Khan, who was waiting to vote in the northwestern city of Peshawar, where one of the blasts took place on Saturday. “Either we sit in our house and let the terrorism go on, or we come out of our homes, cast our vote, and bring in a government that can solve this problem of terrorism. That exuberance seemed to be widespread.”

Washington is watching the election as it relies heavily on cooperation by the nuclear-armed South Asian country in fighting militants and negotiating an end to the war in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan also provides key routes for transportation of supplies Afghanistan-based international security assistance forces as well as pullout of military equipment from its landlocked western neighbour.

Turnout will be critical, especially among the youth. Almost half of Pakistan’s more than 80 million registered voters are under the age of 35.

In its report, CNN quoted the Election Commission Secretary, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, as recording a massive turnout in the polling, and that the election had been free and fair across much of the country, despite the problems in Karachi.

According to the Monitor, the new leadership will have to right away grapple with a series of some very tough challenges like overcoming power outages and containing militancy.