All set as 128 million voters to go to polls on Thursday | Maqvi News

ECP says ballot papers to be dispatched to Balochistan, KP by air n CEC says despite security challenges, Commission is fully prepared to hold elections peacefully n Interior Minister expresses sanctification over arrangements in Balochistan n ECP declares Feb 8 as public holiday n Schools to remain closed from Feb 6 to 9.

ISLAMABAD/ QUETTA   –  Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja Thursday categorically stated that the general elections will be held on February 8 (Thursday).

He was chairing a meeting at the Election Commission office in Islamabad to discuss the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Chief Election Commissioner said despite security challenges, the Commission is fully prepared to hold the elections peacefully scheduled date. He categorically said those who will disrupt the law and order situation will be dealt strictly.

Terming terrorism as the biggest enemy to the electoral process, the Chief Election Commissioner expressed confidence in security arrangements made by law enforcement agencies for peaceful conduct of the gener­al elections. He said political parties, candidates and voters will be provided with a safe and conducive environment for con­ducting election campaigns and exercise of right to vote with­out fear of danger. Addressing the meeting, Caretaker Interi­or Minister Gohar Ejaz said the federal and provincial govern­ments are fully prepared for the peaceful conduct of elections.

He said all preparations are complete and full support and resources will be provided to the Election Commission for conducting the general elec­tions. A statement, released by the ECP after the meeting ended, stated that the CEC ex­pressed concerns about the de­teriorating security situation in KP and Balochistan but stressed that the electoral process won’t stop despite the challenges.

The participants expressed their resolve that terrorism as the biggest enemy of the elec­toral process but LEAs making all necessary security arrange­ments for peaceful conduct of polls. CEC also warned the LEAs to stay cautious of the efforts to take law in hands during the day of polls, especially during the counting of votes and results compilation and announce­ment. The participants of the meeting informed that provin­cial administration and securi­ty institutions are fully alert and ready to deal with possible inci­dents of terrorism.

The officials informed the CEC about the significant measures taken across the country es­pecially in KP and Balochistan for ensuring the security and peaceful conduct of elections. They also informed the meeting about the completion of prepa­rations for the polls — taking place in the province for the first time since the merger of former federally administered tribal ar­eas — and the provision of all required resources to the LEAs.

Meanwhile, the ECP also took notice of the bomb attack at the election office of a political par­ty in Quetta and sought an im­mediate report from the Ba­lochistan chief secretary and inspector general of police. It also directed for taking action against the culprits under the election laws.

Also, ECP has decided to dis­patch the ballot papers for gen­eral elections in some areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pa­khtunkhwa by air to ensure prompt delivery. “The ballot pa­pers will be airlifted to Gwa­dar, Panjgur, Kach, Kharan, Ba­jaur and Kurram Agency,” the spokesman of the ECP told APP.

A spokesman said the ballot papers of National and Provin­cial Assemblies of the said areas will be sent by helicopter and C-130. About the printing of the ballot papers, he said the print­ing of ballot papers for three seats of National Assembly of Federal Capital has been start­ed and the task will be complet­ed shortly.

The spokesman said the print­ing of ballot papers of all con­stituencies of National and Provincial assemblies from Ba­lochistan has been completed.

He said that around 90 per­cent printing of ballot papers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 80 per­cent of Punjab and 60 percent of Sindh has also been completed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced February 8th (Thursday) as a public holiday, aiming to pro­vide voters the opportunity to cast their votes conveniently.

The ECP spokesperson said in a statement that the declared holiday, referencing sections (4) and 8 © of the Election Act 2017, is granted to empower voters in exercising their right to franchise freely and conve­niently. The government has also announced holidays for ed­ucational institutions from Feb 6 to 9. ‘Comprehensive strategy for successful election process’

Caretaker Minister for Interi­or Dr Gohar Ejaz on Thursday reiterating government resolve said the caretaker government was determined for holding fair, free and peaceful elections in the country. 

“All resources will be provid­ed to the provincial govern­ment for holding transparent and peaceful elections,” he said while addressing a consultative meeting held here at Secretariat to review the overall law and or­der situation and arrangements of the provincial government for upcoming general elections. 

The interior minister ex­pressed his satisfaction over the preparations and best strate­gy of the provincial government for holding peaceful and suc­cessful elections in Balochistan. 

Caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs, Mir Zubair Jamali, Chief Secretary Baloch­istan Shakil Qadir, Additional Chief Secretary Home Baloch­istan, Zahird Saleem, Commis­sioner Quetta Hamza Shafkat and officers of the law enforce­ment agencies attended the meeting. Additional Chief Sec­retary Home, Zahid Saleem gave a detailed briefing regarding the overall situation of law and or­der in the province and arrange­ments for holding the elections in the province.

The interior minister said that caretaker government was com­mitted to complete the election process by using all available resources and leaving no stone unturned in that regard. 

Federal government was striv­ing hard to provide the provin­cial governments with neces­sary equipments, latest gadgets and other resources to ensure safety of lives of the voters and candidates, he added.

Lauding the efforts made by the Balochistan government for maintaining peace and hold­ing general elections 2024, the minister said provincial govern­ment had chalked out a com­prehensive strategy for the suc­cessful conduct of the election process. The minister said that elements hostile to peace would not be allowed to take the law into their hands. 

Dr Gohar, said that there was a dire need for devising a long-term integrated strategy for sus­tainable peace in the province, adding that formation of a bet­ter strategy for maintaining law and order in the province could prevent young minds from fall­ing into the wrong hands. 

The government was taking all steps to eliminate poverty and provision of better oppor­tunities for dignified employ­ment for prosperity of the prov­ince, he added.

The interior minister point­ed out that he was reviewing the election preparations in all the provinces on the spe­cial instructions of the Caretak­er Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar. According to FAFEN report, Pakistan has a record 128m people constituting over half of its total population, reg­istered as voters, marking a substantial increase of 22.5m voters including 12.5m wom­en added since 2018. Presently, the number of registered voters constitutes 53.2 percent of the 241.49m population.