ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz said Thursday that general elections
would be held on February 8 come what may after doubts were raised as the security situation
remains perilous in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
“Elections will be held on February 8, no one should have any confusion on this,” the interim
minister told the journalists after the electoral body’s meeting.
He said that the election commission and caretaker government will ensure the conduct of the
polls on the designated date come what may.
A key meeting of the ECP took place at its headquarters in Islamabad to discuss the
deteriorating law and order situation in KP and Balochistan just days ahead of the general
elections.
For the past few weeks, a surge in attacks on political rallies, offices and candidates,
alongside terror incidents has been reported mainly in the two provinces.
To brief ECP about the situation of law and order, the IGs and chief secretaries of both
provinces, the caretaker interior minister, Interior Secretary Aftab Durrani, alongside
intelligence officials attended the meeting.
After the meeting, sources affiliated with ECP said that the situation is in under control and
there are no reservations regarding the elections conduct.
Earlier today at least one person was killed and four others were injured on Thursday as
multiple blasts were reported in different parts of Balochistan including the provincial capital
Quetta, according to police.
The situation in the province remains aggravated as on Wednesday, violence marred
electioneering activities as multiple terrorist attacks in a row rocked various cities of
Balochistan.
In a statement today (Thursday), a spokesperson of the ECP said the electoral body has
sought an immediate report from the chief secretary and Balochistan police chief on multiple
explosions in the province.
Meanwhile Rehan Zeb Khan, an independent candidate for NA-8 and a member of the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was shot dead while canvassing in KP’s Bajaur district.
Separately, a bomb attack on the PTI’s election rally in Sibbi killed four people on Tuesday.
The United States issued a condemnation of the attack, saying that the attack “undermines
the electoral process”.