After countrywide disruption of cellular and internet services during general elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, citing the high court’s orders given in 2018 for not suspending the said services on polling day.
The Bilawal-led party, expressing its concerns in a letter to the top judge, stated that the “unannounced disruptions of internet and mobile network connectivity today” is “severely impacting the general elections.”
“Due to this countrywide disruption, voters are unable to access information related to their polling station or coordinate logistics to access the polling stations,” it added.
The party sought the top court to recall clear orders for not suspending internet on polling day as they were given by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in 2018. The PPP termed the suspension of services in violation of the high court’s orders.
“The discontinuation of network services has created problems for voters, candidates, and electoral staff.”
The disruption of mobile network has impacted voter turnout. Despite the PPP’s request to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the services have not been restored, it further stated.
Earlier, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of Pakistan against mobile and internet services disruptions across the country on the polling day.
Earlier in the morning, the Ministry of Interior suspended cellular services “temporarily” across Pakistan as part of security measures as the nation votes today in the general elections.
An interior ministry’s spokesperson said that precious lives were lost in recent incidents of terrorism in the country in the run-up to the general elections.
However, several political parties including PPP and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) raised questions over the suspension of mobile phone services, saying that it was the “worst situation ever”.
“We, the Pakistan Peoples Party are concerned on the recent unannounced disruptions of internet and mobile network connectivity across Pakistan which is severely impacting the General Elections,” PPP’s election cell in-charge Taj Haider wrote in a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
Due to this countrywide disruption, voters are unable to access information related to their polling station or coordinate logistics to access the polling stations, he added.
The discontinuation of network services has created problems for voters, candidates, and electoral staff.
“Understandably, without access to internet and mobile networks, voters are unable to access vital information about polling stations and follow other electoral procedures and coordinate logistics to access respective polling stations,” the complaint added.
