World News | General Elections in Pakistan Will Take Place on Feb 8: Interior Minister
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Despite increasing poll-related violence, Pakistan's acting interior minister Gohar Ejaz on Thursday dispelled all doubts about holding the general elections on the already announced date of February 8.
Islamabad, Feb 1 (PTI) Despite increasing poll-related violence, Pakistan's acting interior minister Gohar Ejaz on Thursday dispelled all doubts about holding the general elections on the already announced date of February 8.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had summoned a meeting on Thursday to discuss the worsening law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. It was attended by the Interior Minister, Secretary of Interior, Chief Secretaries, Inspector Generals of Police from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, along with representatives from intelligence agencies.
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Ejaz, the acting interior minister, while briefly talking to the media after the security meeting, said that after the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, “There should not be any doubt about elections. No matter what happens.”
“The government will ensure that the elections are held on February 8,” he said in response to a question regarding rumours about a possible delay in the elections in some regions due to security reasons.
With just a week left for the elections, the country is facing a rising threat of attacks by militant outfits, especially in the two provinces bordering Afghanistan. On Wednesday, unknown gunmen killed Rehan Zeb Khan in the Siddiqabad area of Bajaur district of the violence-infested KP.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan had announced that it was backing the slain candidate for the National Assembly.
His killing came a day after four people were killed while six were wounded in a bomb blast at a PTI rally in Balochistan's Sibi city.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)