NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s acting interior minister Gohar Ejaz confirmed on Thursday that there were no uncertainties regarding the already-scheduled general elections on February 8. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had convened a meeting on Thursday to address the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
After the security meeting, Ejaz spoke to the media, stating that despite the recent surge in terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, there should be no doubts about the elections taking place on the announced date. He asserted, “There should not be any doubt about elections. No matter what happens. The government will ensure that the elections are held on February 8.”
With just one week remaining until the elections, the country is grappling with an increasing threat of attacks by militant groups, particularly in the two provinces bordering Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, unidentified gunmen killed Rehan Zeb Khan in the Siddiqabad area of Bajaur district, a region plagued by violence in KP. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, declared its support for the deceased candidate for the National Assembly.
Zeb Khan’s killing occurred a day after a bomb blast at a PTI rally in Balochistan’s Sibi city, resulting in four fatalities and six injuries.