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February 09, 2024

 

Pakistanis Defy Deadly Violence, Internet Suspension to Cast Votes

Islamabad: Pakistanis on Thursday defied deadly violence and the suspension of mobile phone services to queue up and vote in tumultuous national elections, even though many see the polls as neither free nor fair.

Long lines were seen in cities like Lahore, in the east, as voting gathered steam in the afternoon after a slow start in the morning.

The polling sites were tightly guarded by police and the military after twin bombings by militants a day earlier killed more than two dozen people in the province of Balochistan.

The coup-prone South Asian nuclear power with a population of more than 240 million was holding elections for what is only the third transfer of power between civilian governments in several decades.

The polling began at 8 am and continued until 5 pm (1200 GMT).

More than 128 million people are eligible to vote, making it one of the largest democratic exercises in the world.

Former three-time prime minister  Nawaz Sharif  is a front-runner to lead that country for a record fourth time, according to public opinion surveys ahead of the polls.

His main rival and another former premier, Imran Khan, is languishing in jail after convictions on multiple graft and moral charges days ahead of the polling. He was banned from running and his party is not on the ballot.

“If you want to address the issues of this country, then one party should get the full mandate," Sharif said as he cast his vote in his native city and political stronghold Lahore.

Sharif promised to tame inflation and stabilize the economy.

“This is my dream and I wish to materialize it," Sharif said, as most surveys predicted his party would be ahead of others, but wouldn’t get a majority in parliament to form the government single-handedly.

Security is on high alert and around 600,000 security personnel have been deployed to guard the voting, Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz said.

At least 137,000 Pakistan troops have been deployed, he added.

More than half of around 90,000 polling stations were prone to violence, the election panel said.

The attacks on the campaign by Islamist militants and separatist rebels have prompted fears of low turnout.

Minutes before the polling began, authorities suspended mobile services and closed borders with neighboring Afghanistan and Iran.

"The decision is to ensure the safety of the voters," a ministry statement said.

Religious militants have used mobile phones as triggers to detonate planted explosive devices in the past.

People who voted on Thursday hoped the exercise would bring order to the chaotic Islamic republic.

“I know it isn’t easy. The elections aren’t fair, but I have voted because my country must get better,” said Uzma Hussain, an 18-year-old student of business analytics at a local university in Islamabad.

The 43-year-old Aster Moris, from an impoverished Christian neighborhood in the capital, came to the polling station hoping her vote would give the country a leadership that is honest and caring.

“We need the coming government to give people some respite from inflation and joblessness,” she said. – dpa

Courtesy dpa

 

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