In Pictures

In pictures: Afghans vote for president

Some 9.5 million people registered to vote in poll taking place amid heavy security.

Women queue to cast their vote at a polling station in Herat on September 28, 2019. Afghans headed to the polls amid tight security on September 28 as voting got under way in the presidential election — Women wait in line to cast their vote at a polling station in Herat. [Hoshang Hashimi/AFP]

Voters across Afghanistan are casting their ballots to pick their country’s next leader.

The winner is expected to play a key part in the efforts to end the war with the Taliban, which now controls more of the country than at any time since its toppling in a US-led invasion in 2001.

The armed group refuses to negotiate with the Afghan government and has denounced the election as a “sham”. It has urged voters to stay away from polling stations, which it threatened to attack.

Amid rising security concerns, tens of thousands of security forces were deployed on Saturday across the country to protect voters.

The election, which has been delayed twice, is taking place after talks between the United States and the Taliban collapsed earlier this month.

Men arrive to cast their votes outside a polling station in the presidential election in Jalalabad, Afghanistan September 28, 2019. REUTERS/Parwiz — The polls opened at 7am local time (2:30 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 3pm (11:00 GMT). [Parwiz/Reuters]

A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Jalalabad on September 28, 2019. Insurgents worked to disrupt Afghanistan''s presidential election on September 28, with a series of blasts reported acros — Saturday's presidential election is the fourth since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. [Noorullah Shirzada/AFP]

An election official checks voter''s documents with an UV flashlight at a polling station during a presidential election in Kabul, Afghanistan September 28, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani — An election official checks a voter's documents with a UV flashlight at a polling station in Kabul. [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]

An Afghan woman poses for a picture, taken by an election official, before casting her vote during the presidential elections in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. Afghans headed to the pol — As part of the biometric voting system, an election official takes the picture of a woman before she casts her ballot in Kabul. [Rahmat Gul/AP Photo]

A security force personnel checks a man outside a polling station in Jalalabad on September 28, 2019. Insurgents worked to disrupt Afghanistan''s presidential election on September 28, with a series of — To protect voters and polling stations, tens of thousands of Afghan forces were deployed across the country. [Noorullah Shirzada/AFP]

An Independent Election Commission (IEC) official (L) helps a burqa-clad woman to cast her vote at a polling station in Herat on September 28, 2019. Insurgents worked to disrupt Afghanistan''s presiden — An Independent Election Commission (IEC) official, left, helps a woman cast her vote at a polling station in Herat. [Hoshang Hashimi/AFP]

An Afghan woman arrives to cast her vote in the presidential election in Kabul, Afghanistan September 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail — Some 9.6 million people registered to vote in the presidential election. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]

An Afghan man casts his vote in the presidential election in Kabul, Afghanistan September 28, 2019. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail — A presidential candidate must secure 50 percent of the vote to win outright. If no candidate crosses the threshold, a runoff will be held between the top two contenders - most likely on November 23. [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters]

Afghan women line up at a polling station as they wait to cast their votes in Kabul, Afghanistan September 28, 2019.REUTERS/Omar Sobhani — Preliminary results are not expected before October 17, and the final results will be announced on November 7. [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]