Islamabad: A 38-member South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) poll monitoring team has been deputed to observe the October 10 general elections in Pakistan.

The Colombo-based International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) has picked up the SAARC team, official media reports said.

It was not clear, however, whether there was any Indian representative in the list.

The ICES co-ordinated similar missions in Pakistan in 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1997, official APP news agency said.

The mission will assemble in Karachi on October 5 and will be divided into small teams to be deployed for observance of the electoral process.

A number of foreign observers, including a 70-member team from the European Union (EU) and 32-member team from Commonwealth, are currently in Pakistan to observe the polls for the National Assembly and four provincial Assemblies.

PTI