Pakistan says it has 'more than ample resources' to make Feb 8 polls peaceful, free & fair

PAKISTAN'S caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi has said that the government has taken all measures to ensure that foolproof security is in place to make the general elections on February 8 free and fair.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday (3), Solangi, who is a journalist, said a three-tier security system would be in place for the elections, starting with the police, civil forces and the army.

“We have more than ample resources available to ensure peaceful free and fair elections on Thursday, February 8,” he said, Dawn reported.

The minister also acknowledged the speculations of the polls getting cancelled owing to factors such as weather, security concerns and Pakistan's recent skirmishes with Iran.

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“The caretaker government has been consistent from day one about elections taking place,” the minister, who was accompanied by Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch, said.

Meanwhile, Zubair Jamali, the interior minister of Pakistan's restive south-western Balochistan province said that more than 80 per cent of polling stations in the region were categorised as "sensitive" and 34 per cent as "highly sensitive".

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Only 19 per cent of polling stations in Balochistan have been identified “normal”, he said in an interview with Dawn News programme “Doosra Rukh”.

The government of Balochistan has barred political parties from staging rallies and corner meetings, the Dawn report added.

Concerns over Karachi violence

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Saeed Ghani said the situation in the southern city of Karachi might worsen on the day of the election if proper steps were not taken to control the sporadic incidents of violence.

In a press conference in the city, the local leader insisted that the PPP is committed to a non-violent approach, adding that elements apprehensive of facing defeat are attempting to disrupt the law and order situation.

Tensions have soared in Karachi, Pakistan's only port city, ahead of the general elections with rival political parties clashing over national and provincial legislature seats. On Monday (29), deadly gunfire was reported from Nazimabad, a suburb of Karachi, that led to the death of a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) party and injuries to three others during clashes with PPP cadre. Before that, at least 25 people were injured in clashes between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of former prime minister Imran Khan and the police in Clifton, an upscale seaside locality in Karachi.

While the PPP has dominated Karachi and the Sindh province of which it is the capital historically, the present political situation indicates towards a potential shift in power dynamics. Major players contesting in this election, including the PPP, MQM-P, PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami are eyeing the city's control and it has made the mercury soaring.