Voting begins as 128 million voters head to polls amid security concerns
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Polling process started at 8am and will continue till 5pm, the results will start arriving in late night.
About 128 million voters will vote for nearly 18,000 candidates contesting the General Elections 2024 on February 8 for 1,125 seats in the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.
In the contest for the National Assembly are 5,121 candidates. They belong either to Pakistan’s 167 registered political parties or are independents.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has assigned 150 different symbols to registered political parties while 174 have been allotted to independent candidates.
Mobile phone services suspended in parts of Pakistan
Mobile phones services remain suspended as voting started in general elections across the country that started amid violence that claimed lives of 30 people.
Authorities stopped the mobile phone services as safety measure to law and order amid the polls.
In a statement, Pakistan’s interior ministry said mobile services remain suspended nationwide to maintain the law and order situation and tackle threats.
It said precious lives have been lost in recent attacks and security measures are crucial to maintain law and order and to deal with potential threats.
NetBlocks, which monitors mobile and internet availability, said Live network data shows disruption to mobile internet in Pakistan with high impact to second-largest operator Zong, corroborating widespread user reports of outages; the incident comes as polls open on election day.
Security beefed up as Pakistan on Election Day in the shadow of terror attacks
Security has been beefed up across Pakistan, especially in sensitive regions, in the shadow of possible militant activities.
As the country saw multiple attacks in Balochistan, authorities issued stern measures to beef up security. The country also suspended mobile phone services nationwide citing need to maintain law and order.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh instructed district police officers to coordinate with intelligence personnel and ensure heightened vigilance for the safety of voters, candidates, polling staff, and materials during the upcoming general elections. He also called for increased police patrolling and snap-checking at the district level in response to recent tragic events, including blasts in Pishin and Qila Saifullah that resulted in loss of lives and injuries.
The incidents raised concerns about security, especially with the approaching polls. The proactive measures aim to address these concerns by strengthening security measures. A day before elections, twin blasts targeted candidates’ offices in Balochistan, resulting in the tragic loss of more than two dozen people.
All major political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) have kicked off campaigning, while the country’s most popular party – the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – seems to be missing.
While the former prime minister Imran Khan remains incarnated at Adiala Jail and out of election race, his PTI has been barred from using the party symbol in the upcoming elections.
