At least five people were killed in militant attacks in Pakistan today, at the time they are held Parliamentary Elections in the country, which followed the temporary suspension of mobile phone services and the closure of land borders in order to maintain law and order.
The interior ministry said it had taken these measures after at least 26 people died in two explosions near candidate offices in the southwestern province of Balochistan yesterday, Wednesday. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for these attacks.
“As a result of the recent terrorist incidents in the country [κατά τα οποία] precious lives have been lost, security measures are necessary to maintain law and order and counter potential threats,” the ministry said in a post on Platform X. Thousands of soldiers have been deployed on streets and polling stations across the country as voting started with the border with the Iran and Afghanistan have been temporarily closed.
Four policemen were killed in a bomb blast and gunfire that targeted a police patrol in the Kulachi district of northwestern Dera Ismail Khan province during the day, local police chief Rauf Qaisrani said.
One person was killed when gunmen opened fire on a security forces vehicle in Tank, about 40 km to the north. Grenade attacks were also reported in different parts of Balochistan, but voting there has not been affected as there were no casualties, Syed Ahmed Umrani, commander of the Makran division, told Reuters.
Mohsin Dawar, a candidate from North Waziristan – a hotbed of Islamist insurgents in northwest Pakistan – said in a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan that some polling stations in his district were seized by local 'Taliban' men who threatened polling staff and locals.
At the moment there is no confirmation from the electoral commission or the security forces.
Despite security concerns and bitter cold, long lines had begun to form outside polling stations hours before voting was scheduled to begin. “The fate of the country is at stake, why should I come late?” said 86-year-old Mumtaz, a housewife a decade older than Pakistan itself, as she stood in line in Islamabad.
Militant violence aside, the election is taking place amid a deep economic crisis and a highly polarized political environment, and many analysts say it may not produce a clear winner.
The first unofficial results are expected a few hours after the polls close at 14:00 Greek time and a clearer picture is likely to be available early tomorrow, Friday.
Source: News Beast
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