QUETTA – Caretaker Information Minister of Balochistan Jan Achakzai said that internet services could be shut down around sensitive polling stations at the request of local administration for security reasons on election day (Feb 8).
The interim minister in a statement clarified that there were no guidelines from the government for the internet shut down in province. However, it can be suspended temporarily if local authorities find it appropriate subject to the security situation.
Most of the polling stations in Turbat, Mach, Chaman, and other areas have been declared sensitive so the internet suspension can affect these areas.
Jan Achakzai said that stringent measures were being taken to ensure the foolproof security on the election day in the province. He warned that militants could potentially exploit social media platforms to provoke violence during the elections.
Pakistani citizens are all set to go to the polls tomorrow (Feb 8) to elect members of the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.
The polling will begin at 8 am and continue till 5 in the evening. The government has declared a public holiday on Feb 8 so people can exercise their rights easily.
The voters are required to bring their original Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) to cast the vote. Expired CNICs are also acceptable.
A total of 5,121 candidates are in the race for the 265 National Assembly seats. For the 596 provincial assemblies’ seats, 12695 candidates are in the field.
There are a total of 128,585,760 registered voters in the country, as per the latest data shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
