As of 2:00 pm today, 47.91 per cent of voters had cast their ballots at 36,031 out of 42,651 polling stations, the Election Commission reported.

However, turnout figures from nearly 6,620 centres are still awaited.

Senior secretary of the EC Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed, told reporters at 4:00 pm that polling had proceeded smoothly since 7:30 am, with voter flow increasing as the day progressed.

Commenting on the overall situation, the EC secretary said there were no significant problems.

Referring to visits at two polling stations, he noted, 'Voter flow was low until noon, but it was picking up by the time we left.,

Asked about expected turnout, he added, 'I am expecting the final turnout to reflect the percentage of votes that will ultimately be cast.'