By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military leadership on Wednesday pledged to safeguard the upcoming parliamentary elections from violence and sabotage, as the country witnessed a spate of deadly attacks on political candidates and rallies in the past few days.
The army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, said in a statement that the military would perform its constitutional duties under the guidelines of the Election Commission of Pakistan, and would not tolerate any disruption of the democratic process.
“No one would be allowed to indulge in violence in the name of political activity and sabotage the quintessential democratic exercise of conduct of free and fair elections,” the statement said. Pakistan Army will perform assigned duties as per the Constitutional mandate, under the guidelines of ECP.”
The caretaker government last Tuesday gave the green signal for Pakistan Army troops to be deployed in sensitive constituencies and polling stations in various parts of the country.
The statement came after a meeting of the army’s top commanders, chaired by the army chief, Gen. Syed Asim Munir, who also discussed the security situation in the region and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace and sovereignty.
The army’s assurance followed a series of attacks that have raised fears of instability and violence ahead of the elections, scheduled for Feb. 8. On Wednesday, a candidate from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On Tuesday, four people were killed and six others injured in a bomb blast at a rally of the same party in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
The attacks have targeted candidates and supporters of various political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Awami National Party and the PTI. The perpetrators have not been identified, but some analysts have blamed militant groups that oppose democracy and the state.
The Election Commission of Pakistan, the body responsible for conducting the polls, has expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and has called for a meeting on Thursday with senior government and intelligence officials to review the security arrangements.
The electoral watchdog said the meeting would be attended by the interior minister, interior secretary, chief secretaries of Balochistan and KP, provincial police chiefs and officials of intelligence agencies.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also raised alarm over the escalation in violation ahead of the polls.
“Both the ECP and caretaker government must take notice of the situation and ensure that the perpetrators are identified and held to account,” the commission said on on social media platform X.
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