Solangi assures nation of peaceful conduct of Feb 8 general elections

ISLAMABAD: Despite countrywide violent incidents related to polls, caretaker federal Information Minister Murtaza Solangi expressed confidence in security arrangements for the February 8 general elections, saying that the polls will be held peacefully in presence of adequate security. 

Solangi said this while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. He said that the election-related arrangements had been finalised and the authorities had divided the security into three parts.

“In the first part, police will perform their duties, Rangers and FC (Frontier Constabulary) will perform the second while the third tier of security will be under Pakistan Army," he said.

Recalling the previous polls which saw deteriorated law and order in the country, Solangi said that terrorism was seen during the 2008 and 2013 general elections.

"Terrorism increased after the Taliban took over the Kabul government as Al-Qaeda and TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) use Afghanistan as a safe haven," said the information minister.

The interim minister said that they have made full security arrangements at the polling stations, adding that the security forces are fully prepared for elections.

"Pakistan is taking action against terrorists," he added.

The security situation in KP and Balochistan provinces created concerns regarding the conduct of elections.

Recent attacks on political rallies, offices and candidates, alongside terror incidents, have seen a surge, particularly in the two restive provinces, for the last few weeks.

Recently, an independent candidate contesting for the National Assembly seat from Bajaur, NA-8 — Rehan Zeb Khan — was murdered in his hometown Bajaur on Wednesday.

Zeb, a PTI youth activist, was gunned down by unidentified armed assailants, who opened fire on him.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the murder and also the incidents of firing on a convoy of a political party in Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan in which one person was killed and a grenade attack outside the house of a candidate of PB-25 constituency in Kech district.

Meanwhile, the ECP also took notice of the bomb attack at the election office of a political party in Quetta and sought an immediate report from the Balochistan chief secretary and inspector general of police.