<\/p>\n
Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti on Tuesday said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be given full security needed to hold the upcoming general elections<\/a> in a peaceful environment.<\/p>\n The general elections in the country are scheduled for February 8. A day ago, the ECP sought the deployment<\/a> of the army and civil armed forces outside polling stations for the elections to meet the shortfall of over 277,000 police personnel across the country.<\/p>\n Speaking with Dunya News<\/em> show Nukta Nazar<\/em>, the interior minister assured that the caretaker government would take the necessary measures to provide all required facilities to the ECP for transparently conducting the general elections.<\/p>\n \u201cPolitical parties should cooperate with law enforcement agencies (LEAs), before arranging any public meeting or corner meeting for election campaign,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bugti said timely information about public gatherings or meetings would help security institutions for making better arrangements for them.<\/p>\n Commenting on the rising terrorism incidents in different parts of the country, he said LEAs were \u201cfully\u201d alert to control the menace of terrorism.<\/p>\n The interior minister the country\u2019s enemies were trying to sabotage the peaceful environment of Pakistan.<\/p>\n Bugti said security institutions were taking all possible steps to defeat terrorism in a \u201cbefitting manner\u201d.<\/p>\n Earlier today, at least six people, including four children, were injured<\/a> in an improvised explosive device blast on Peshawar\u2019s Warsak Road.<\/p>\n Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had ended<\/a> its ceasefire with the government in November last year.<\/p>\n According to data<\/a> released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the country experienced a 34 per cent increase in anti-state violence last month.<\/p>\n It had revealed that KP emerged as the most affected province, documenting 51 attacks, causing 54 fatalities and 81 injuries.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Balochistan had recorded nine attacks, resulting in 18 fatalities, including that of 15 security forces personnel and three civilians.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said KP and Balochistan were subject to \u201cunrest\u201d as security threats loomed over the country and cast doubt over the feasibility of the upcoming general elections.<\/p>\n Speaking to the media in Islamabad, he said: \u201cWe should be given the environment [for election campaign]. What is the situation right now? Two provinces are in the grip of unrest.\u201d<\/p>\nRehman casts doubt over polls citing \u2018unrest\u2019 in KP, Balochistan<\/h2>\n