By Augustine Anthony
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Counting began on Monday after anelection in Pakistan which was far less violent than feared,although it could result in a parliament set on driving U.S.ally President Pervez Musharraf from power.
The former army chief called for reconciliation aftercasting his vote in the city of Rawalpindi, where oppositionleader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto wasassassinated on December 27.
The vote for a new National Assembly and provincialassemblies was to have been held early last month, but wasdelayed because of Bhutto's assassination.
Polling stations closed their doors at 5 p.m. (noon Britishtime). Results are expected to start emerging by midnight andtrends should be clear on Tuesday morning.
The death of Bhutto, the most progressive, Western-friendlypolitician in a Muslim nation rife with anti-Americansentiment, raised concern about stability in the nuclear-armedstate.
More than 450 people have died in militant-related violencethis year.
Fear of more violence kept many Pakistanis away from thepolls, despite 80,000 troops backing up police.
Election official Mohammad Farooq estimated turnout at 35pct at his polling station in Rawalpindi.
"Considering the security circumstances, that's good," hesaid as the polls closed.
An intelligence official said 11 people have been killed --seven of them in Punjab province -- and 70 wounded in electionviolence since voting began.
In Bhutto's home province of Sindh, Home Secretary Arif AliKhan said two people had been killed and 50 wounded inpoll-related incidents.
"This is almost insignificant," said Khan, while expressingsorrow over the deaths.
The carnage may have been less than some expected, but U.S.Senator John Kerry said fear stopped many people from voting.
"It's intimidating people from coming to the polls ... it'snot a great atmosphere," Kerry told reporters after observingthe election in the central city of Lahore.
Musharraf, who came to power in a coup in 1999, pledged towork with the victors to build democracy in a country that hasalternated between civilian and army rule throughout its60-year history.
"Whichever political party wins, whoever becomes primeminister ... I congratulate them and I will fully cooperatewith them as president," he told reporters.
Musharraf's popularity plunged over the past year becauseof his manoeuvres to hold on to power, which included purgingthe judiciary, and imposing six weeks of emergency rule.
Many Pakistanis also blame the government for risingprices, food shortages and all-too-frequent power cuts.
FEAR
Security concerns affect large parts of Pakistan. A suicideattack on Bhutto party supporters killed 47 people in anorthwestern town on Saturday.
"You see suicide bombings everywhere and you can see theempty streets on polling day. It's all because of fear," saidcivil servant Mohammad Ijaz, voting in the city of Lahore wherethree people were killed in shootings late on Sunday.
Militants set off bombs at four polling stations in thenorthwest, three in the Swat Valley, before polls opened, butno one was injured. Army helicopters later attacked suspectedmilitant hideouts in Swat, residents said.
Another worry was vote rigging, which could promptopposition parties to reject the result and call for streetprotests, raising concern over how the army would react.
A sympathy vote was expected to help Bhutto's PakistanPeople's Party (PPP) become the largest party in the 342-seatNational Assembly.
Most analysts doubted the PPP could win a majority. If not,its choices for coalition partners would be vital to Musharraf.
Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the PPP,issued a conciliatory call for unity on the eve of the vote. Hedid not speak to reporters as he voted in Sindh.
The leader of the other main opposition party, former primeminister Nawaz Sharif, made a victory sign as he voted inLahore.
An alliance between the PPP and Sharif is what Musharrafdreads as Sharif is intent on bringing him down, perhapsthrough impeachment.
Analysts say Musharraf wants a coalition between the PPPand the Pakistan Muslim League that backs him.
Western allies hope for a stable Pakistan focused onfighting militancy, as do investors in a stock market that rose40 percent last year but has shed about 3 percent sinceBhutto's death.
Nearly 81 million people were registered to vote. Severalhundred foreigners and thousands of Pakistanis monitored theelection but were not allowed to do exit polls.
(Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider in Islamabad,Kamran Haider and Jon Hemming in Lahore, Sahar Ahmed in Karachiand Simon Gardner in Larkana; Editing by Robert Birsel andJerry Norton)
