ISLAMABAD: Officials of Pakistan’s election oversight body said on Thursday that they would not let anyone obstruct the upcoming national elections, amid an increase in pre-poll violence in the South Asian country.
Pakistan is scheduled to hold national elections on Feb. 8, with 17,800 candidates running for 266 national and 593 provincial seats. A total of 128.5 million voters will be exercising their right to vote in the elections.
However, the South Asian country of more than 241 million people has witnessed several attacks in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces in the weeks leading up to the polls.
On Thursday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held a meeting to review the security situation, particularly in Balochistan, and its arrangements to ensure safety of voters and candidates.
“Officials briefed the commission about the ongoing operation against terrorists in Balochistan,” the ECP said in a statement.
“They assured that no political or non-political forces will be allowed to obstruct the election process.”
KP officials said that preparations for polls were complete at the administrative level. “All resources have been provided to the law enforcement agencies,” they were quoted as saying.
The meeting came a day after the killing of an election candidate in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the assassination of a political leader in the southwestern Balochistan province.
Earlier this week, a bomb attack targeting an election rally killed four people in Balochistan.
Also on Thursday, Pakistan’s Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz said the polls would go ahead as scheduled.
“The federal and provincial governments are fully prepared for the peaceful and successful conduct of the elections,” the minister was quoted as saying by the ECP.
“Full support and resources will be provided to the Election Commission for conducting the elections.”
