Just eight days before the country goes to polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has called a meeting tomorrow (February 1) to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In a notification issued today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the electoral watchdog said the meeting would be attended by the interior minister, interior secretary, chief secretaries of Balochistan and KP, provincial police chiefs and officials of intelligence agencies.
The meeting would be held at 3pm tomorrow, it added.
The development comes hours after a PTI-affiliated candidate was shot dead in KP’s Bajaur. According to the police, Rehan Zeb Khan was canvassing in the area when unidentified armed men opened fire on his vehicle.
Separately, two terror incidents were reported in Balochistan today. In Quetta, five people were injured in a grenade attack on the PPP’s election office. Meanwhile, a worker belonging to the Awami National Party was killed during the party’s election rally in Chaman.
A day earlier, four people were killed while six were wounded in a bomb blast at a PTI rally in Balochistan’s Sibi.
On Sunday, two people were injured in an explosion outside the residence of a PTI-backed candidate. Malik Shah Muhammad Khan remained safe in the attack.
Earlier in January, former MNA Mohsin Dawar survived an armed attack on his convoy in the Tapi area of Miramshah tehsil in KP’s North Waziristan. The attack on Dawar’s convoy occurred during an election rally. The assailants opened fire and subsequently fled.
The same day, JUI-F’s Qari Khairullah also narrowly escaped a roadside bomb in Bajaur.
In a post on social media platform X today, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan raised alarm over the escalation in violation ahead of the polls.
“Both the ECP and caretaker government must take notice of the situation and ensure that the perpetrators are identified and held to account,” it said.
Army brass asserts no one allowed to sabotage elections
Meanwhile, the military’s top brass has asserted that no one would be allowed to “indulge in violence in the name of political activity” and “sabotage” the exercise of free and fair elections.
According to a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations, the affirmation came during the 262nd Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) held at the General Headquarters today. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir presided over the meeting.
During the high-level moot, the forum discussed the deployment of the Pakistan Army troops to assist the ECP in the peaceful conduct of the upcoming general elections.
“Pakistan Army will perform assigned duties as per the Constitutional mandate, under the guidelines of ECP. No one would be allowed to indulge in violence in the name of political activity and sabotage the quintessential democratic exercise of conduct of free and fair elections,” the ISPR said.
It added that the forum resolved “terrorists, their facilitators and abettors, working on the behest of hostile forced to destabilise Pakistan” would be dealt with “full might of the state”.
“The COAS stated that Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are
sacrosanct and inviolable. Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence with all states, however, there would never be any compromise over the country’s sovereignty, national honour and aspirations of Pakistani people,” the ISPR said.
The meeting’s participants were also briefed on the “callous Indian campaign of extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings, perpetuating state-sponsored terrorism and targeting Pakistan citizens”.
“The forum agreed that blatant violation of international laws by India and its
real face be exposed to the world. The international community has already shown serious concerns over the criminal behaviour of India and its use of state apparatus for killing spree around the world,” the military’s media affairs wing said.
Furthermore, the forum acknowledged and appreciated the steps taken against the spectrum of illegal activities and criminal mafias including smuggling, hoarding, money laundering, power theft and illegal aliens.
“The participants emphasised that such actions and their positive
impact on the economy and well-being of the people need to continue
without any let-up,” the ISPR added.
Earlier, the top brass paid “rich tribute” to supreme sacrifices of martyrs including officers and men of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and the citizens who have laid their lives to ensure peace and stability in the country.
“The forum was briefed on operational preparedness of the formations. The COAS asked formation commanders to continue their focus on the training, administration and morale of the soldiers,” the ISPR statement concluded.
