 "The by-elections were conducted amid incidents of violence and disruptions to network services at all polling places Image Courtesy Reuters")
In an apparent attempt to “safeguard” the electoral process, authorities in the provinces of Punjab and Balochistan temporarily suspended cellphone service in “specific districts” as the voting for 21 national and provincial seats came to a close.
The Election Commission of Pakistan reports that elections were conducted for two seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, five seats in the National Assembly, twelve seats in the Punjab Assembly, and two seats in the Balochistan Assembly.
The by-elections were conducted amid incidents of violence and disruptions to network services at all polling places, according to local media reports in Pakistan.
Following a “firing incident”, the polling process in Sheikhupura’s PP-139 was momentarily halted.
The Punjab election commissioner’s office issued a statement stating that the polling process had been halted because of a “firing incident” at Government Primary School Nizampura.
The announcement further stated that it had later resumed when the police had taken control of the situation.
Workers of the Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) alliance fought with those of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) at voting station number 171 (Lahore College) in Lahore over the matter of setting up polling camps. Then, with the assistance of police involvement, the dispute was resolved.
Arguments were also reported from a number of political figures.
Istehkam-i-According to Shoaib Siddiqui of the Pakistan Party (IPP), there have been rumors of a confrontation in Union Council 184.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSeparately, Mian Shahzad Farooq of SIC asserted that the polling agent had been ejected from the returning officer’s office after he went there to lodge a complaint, and that his party activists were being arrested in NA-119.
According to Dawn, there would be 168 inspectors, 45 senior deputy police officers (SDPOs), 24 superintendents, station house officers (SHOs), and investigation in-charges stationed throughout Lahore for the by-elections.
During the “high alert” period, 195 pickets were set up at Lahore’s entry and departure gates.
The interior ministry permitted the mobile internet services to be suspended on Saturday in order to “maintain law and order” in 13 districts and tehsils in Punjab.
It should be noted that during the general elections on February 8, internet and mobile services were also suspended. Access to social networking site X has been blocked since February 17, when the chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan were allegedly involved in election cheating, according to the former commissioner of Rawalpindi.