The election will also decide the next Prime Minister of the south Asian nation.

Pakistan's nearly 106 million registered voters are expected to vote on Wednesday.

Voting commenced at 8 am and will continue till 6 pm in the evening.

"As many as 12,570 candidates are contesting for a total of 849 seats of national and provincial assemblies in the general election," reported local Geo News.

Voting is taking place across 85,307 polling stations in Pakistan.

Before the elections, the campaigning period witnessed terror attacks which even left several candidates killed.

Security has been heightened across Pakistan for the crucial day of voting.

PPP-PTI fight for supremacy

The main contest in the poll will be held between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's PTI.

The political battle will also see the participation of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto.

The period of campaigning for the polls ended on Tuesday midnight.

Nawaz Sharif's PML-N will be working hard to earn a second term.

PML-N in trouble

In a major blow to Nawaz Sharif ahead of the general elections, a Pakistani court on July 6 handed the former Prime Minister, his daughter and son-in-law jail terms, after it found them guilty of purchasing apartments in upscale London.

He was sentenced to 10 years in jail and also fined eight million pounds by the Pakistani court.

Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam, who is also a prominent political figure in Pakistan,  was sentenced to eight years in jail and fined two million pounds by the court.

They were arrested on July 13 after they reached Pakistan from London.

They are currently lodged in Adiala jail in Pakistan.

Imran Khan urges voters to cast their votes early

PTI chief and former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan has urged people to cast their votes early.

"People of Pakistan must come out and vote tomorrow in this historic election. This is the first time in 4 decades the nation has a chance to defeat the entrenched status quo. Don’t miss this opportunity," Imran Khan tweeted.