ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has called for a meeting on Thursday (today) to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The development comes on the heel of terrorist attacks on elections rallies, and candidates, especially the killing of an independent candidate Bajaur.
According to an ECP notification issued on Wednesday, the caretaker interior minister, interior secretary, chief secretaries of Balochistan and KP, provincial police chiefs, and officials of intelligence agencies would attend the meeting.
The electoral watchdog has affirmed its commitment to the general elections on Feb 8.
A PTI-affiliated candidate was shot dead in KP’s Bajaur. According to the police, Rehan Zeb Khan, an independent candidate, was canvassing in the area when unidentified armed men opened fire on his vehicle.
Separately, two terror incidents were reported in Balochistan on Wednesday.
In Quetta, five people were injured in a grenade attack on a 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 Sibbi.
‘No one would be allowed to sabotage elections’
Meanwhile, the 262nd Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) held at the General Headquarters (GHQ), 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 GHQ with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir in the chair.
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.
