In connection with the elections 2024 across the country, polling has started at eight in the morning and will continue till five in the evening while the mobile phone service is temporarily suspended in the country.
In connection with the 12th general elections, the polling has started across the country at 8 am which will continue till 5 pm without any break while the Ministry of Interior has decided to temporarily suspend the mobile phone service due to security concerns. .
In a statement issued to the media on Thursday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior said that as a result of the recent incidents of terrorism in the country, precious lives have been lost.
The statement said that security measures are essential to maintain law and order situation and deal with possible threats.
Therefore, it has been decided to temporarily suspend the mobile service across the country.
Half of Pakistan's nearly 250 million population, 12 million, 85,85,000 are registered to vote and are eligible to vote for candidates of their choice in party-based elections today.
In the elections, 266 seats of the National Assembly and 571 seats of the four provincial assemblies are being contested.
These elections are taking place at a time when, a day earlier, bomb blasts took place outside the offices of election candidates in Balochistan's Pashin district and Qila Saifullah, for which Daesh claimed responsibility.
Even earlier, in recent days, there have been incidents of extremism in most areas of the country, especially Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which many security personnel including civilians have lost their lives, while many militants have also been killed in the operations of the security forces.
Two lakh 77 thousand military officers and personnel have been deployed for the general elections in the country, while along with them, Rangers and FC personnel are also on security duty.
Where did different political leaders cast their votes?
Polling is underway in Pakistan for the elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies and various political leaders have exercised their right to vote.
On Thursday morning, Muslim League-N leader Maryam Aurangzeb cast her vote in Murree constituency NA-51.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif cast his vote in NA-128 constituency of Lahore.
Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi exercised his right to vote in the federal capital Islamabad.
Pakistan People's Party leader Saeed Ghani cast his vote at Chinesar Goth Community Hall Government School in Karachi.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan Senior Deputy Convenor Farooq Sattar has cast his vote in PIB Colony in NA 244 Constituency of Karachi.
Peshawar: Voting continues in male and female polling stations
The voting process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going on without interruption and the polling stations visited by Independent Urdu have police personnel posted outside and inside, while there are no army personnel in the polling station boundaries.
Due to non-availability of internet, there is a problem in checking the details of voters in the polling campuses of the political parties.
A voter told Independent Urdu that 'I don't know my block and polling station but I can't check if there is no internet.'
Just like men's polling stations, the process of exercising the right to vote in women's polling stations is also going on and a rush of women was seen in the polling stations.
Our system is not internet dependent: Chief Election Commissioner
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said on Thursday that our system is not dependent on the Internet for elections. Internet shutdown will not affect our preparations.'
They say that internet or telephone services are beyond the jurisdiction of the Election Commission.
He said that there were incidents of terrorism in Balochistan yesterday as well.
According to him: 'The assessment of the security situation is the work of the agencies and the Ministry of Interior. We will not ask the Ministry of Interior to open mobile service.'
Full monitoring of security arrangements in Islamabad, Sindh and Punjab continues
Pakistan Rangers Sindh says that the army and Sindh Police have completed the security arrangements.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Sindh Rangers said that personnel have been deployed at all important locations.
10,000 Rangers personnel have been deployed in the entire province of Bayan, of which 6,000 personnel will be deployed in Karachi and 4,000 personnel will perform their duties in Sindh.
440 units of Quick Response Force have been deployed in Karachi while 392 units will be deployed in Sindh.
On the other hand, Punjab Police says that the force is on alert for peaceful, transparent and safe conduct of general elections and security has been increased in Punjab province including Lahore.
IG Punjab Usman Anwar has said in a statement issued on Thursday that RPOs, DPOs, CTOs, senior officers will review all arrangements themselves.
According to IG Punjab, more than 5,500 personnel are deployed at the most sensitive polling stations, while additional personnel, dolphin force, quick response and other teams are also deployed.
According to him, the installation of more than 32 thousand CCTV cameras for monitoring the election process has been completed.
Security sources say that the security agencies have compiled the data of sensitive polling stations in the three constituencies of Islamabad, out of which 78 polling stations have been declared sensitive in three constituencies of Islamabad, while these 78 sensitive polling stations have been classified as sensitive. Added to categories.
Security sources say that 17 sensitive polling stations are included in category A, while 28 are in category B and 33 sensitive polling stations are included in category C.
158 polling stations will be jointly established in the three constituencies of Islamabad while the special branch has sent the report of sensitive polling stations to the police for security plan.
United Nations: Israel rejected 22 requests to deliver aid to northern Gaza
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that Israel rejected 22 requests submitted last month to open checkpoints set up in the Gaza Valley in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip.
The office said in a statement on Wednesday: “It is necessary to act early given the severe traffic congestion around the warehouses and the high level of humanitarian needs.”
He confirmed that last January he submitted 22 requests to Israel to open checkpoints in order to quickly reach the Gaza Valley, stressing that he did not receive any response regarding those requests.
On Monday, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Israel continues to obstruct the arrival of most aid to the northern Gaza Strip, noting that only 10 aid operations reached the northern Gaza Strip out of 61 operations in January.
After its occupation, the Israeli army divided the Gaza Strip into three sections, and placed checkpoints at the divided points, through which passage, including humanitarian aid, is not permitted without Israeli permission.
The United Nations previously warned that 2.2 million people were at risk of starvation in the Gaza Strip, which is under intense attack by Israel.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war with American support on Gaza, which as of Tuesday left “27,585 martyrs and 66,978 injured, most of them children and women,” according to the Palestinian authorities, and caused “massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” According to the United Nations.
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