An Afghan woman casts her vote at a polling station in Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, April 5, 2014. Afghan voters lined up for blocks at polling stations nationwide on Saturday, defying a threat of violence by the Taliban to cast
In this Feb. 2012 photo, Kathy Gannon (left) AP special correspondent and veteran AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus (right) pose with Pakistani soldiers in remote Afghanistan border. While documenting Pakistan's role in fighting Islamic militants in
Influential tribal elders say they would support any of the three candidates, but many people in remote areas of the region won't be casting a vote anyway. In Nangarhar alone, 115 polling stations will not open due to concerns about mass fraud and
Southern and eastern parts Afghanistan are dominated by Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group, which has traditionally enjoyed strong political influence. Karzai is a Pashtun, which made him an obvious choice for many in these regions at the
The Independent Election Commission has said at least 10 percent of polling stations will not be able to open due to the threat of violence, the majority of them in the east where the insurgents are most active. Local officials said they were aware
Saturday's election will bring the first democratic transfer of power in war-torn Afghanistan and an end to the rule of President Hamid Karzai, who has led the country since the ouster of a Taliban regime in late 2001. The Taliban have branded the
Residents in Nangarhar province, which lies on the border with Pakistan, said local Taliban militants have been offering voters 500 Pakistani rupees - the equivalent of just over $5 - to opt out of the election.
Kandahar's Mirwaiz hospital also confirmed Abdul Qayim Patyal's death
Villagers transport election materials on donkeys in the Dara-e-Noor district of Nangarhar province in Eastern Afghanistan on April 4, 2014. Afghans will vote today, April 5 in the country's third presidential election to choose a successor to Hamid
An Afghan girl dips her finger into ink before casting her vote at a polling station in Jalalabad east of Kabul.