ISLAMABAD: Sikandar Sultan Raja, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), has ruled out the prospect of a communications or internet service disruption on February 8, the day of voting.
Following a security meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the CEC stated on Thursday that “no proposal for internet shutdown on election day is under consideration.”
The top electoral body convened a comprehensive meeting to discuss security arrangements and strategies to address any untoward situation on election day, given the dangerous circumstances the nation is currently facing due to a recent spike in terrorist attacks, particularly targeting political parties and their rallies.
Following the discussion, the commission reaffirmed its commitment to holding the elections on schedule and gave the country confidence that it had control over the security situation thanks to the presence of Pakistan Army soldiers and law enforcement.
Elections will take place peacefully on February 8, according to CEC Raja, who also ruled out any plans to sever communications, as has been done in the past as a safety precaution.
“There shouldn’t be a doubt about the conduct of polls on February 8,” he said.
In response to a query, the election commissioner stated that in the event of an internet outage, ECP’s Election Management System (EMS) will function offline.
Ahmed Shah, the interim information minister for Sindh, stated that the province has not decided to halt internet and telecom services on February 8.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Shah declared that the province’s caretaker administration was prepared for the election.
The minister briefed the media on security plans, stating that army forces would be stationed at key polling places while police and Rangers personnel would be stationed at all polling places.
He threatened to take legal action against government workers who neglected to perform their election-related tasks.
In order to maintain law and order following national polls, law enforcement has been deployed across, increasing security with less than a week to go before the February 8 elections.
While the nation is reeling from a string of violent incidents that have claimed several lives, particularly at political party gatherings in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, election preparations and campaigning are underway, raising concerns about the security situation.
Separate gunshots in Bajaur and Chaman had killed an independent and an Awami National Party candidate, while multiple explosions at Pakistan Peoples Party rallies in other Balochistani cities had injured a number of others.
