Islamabad: The conclusion of voting for 21 national and provincial seats coincided with the temporary halt of cellular services in specified areas of Punjab and Balochistan provinces, as reported by Dawn on Sunday. Authorities stated that this measure was taken to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
The elections encompassed five seats in the National Assembly, twelve seats in the Punjab Assembly, two seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and two seats in the Balochistan Assembly, as per the Election Commission of Pakistan.
According to reports from a Pakistani news outlet, the by-elections were conducted amidst instances of violence and disruptions in communication networks at various polling stations.
In PP-139 of Sheikhupura, the polling process was briefly halted due to a firing incident. The Punjab election commissioner’s office issued a statement explaining that polling at Government Primary School Nizampura was paused following the incident. However, it later resumed after law enforcement intervention.
In Lahore, a confrontation occurred at polling station number 171 (Lahore College) between workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) coalition and those of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding the setup of polling camps. Police intervened to resolve the dispute.
Incidents of arguments involving various political figures were reported. Shoaib Siddiqui from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) mentioned a confrontation in Union Council 184, while Mian Shahzad Farooq from SIC claimed that his party workers were being detained in NA-119, and their polling agent was ejected from the returning officer’s office when attempting to file a complaint.
In Lahore, a significant security presence was noted, with 24 superintendents, 45 senior deputy police officers (SDPOs), 168 inspectors, station house officers (SHOs), and investigation in-charges deployed during the by-elections. Additionally, 195 checkpoints were set up at entry and exit points with security maintained at a heightened level.
The interior ministry, on Saturday, authorized the suspension of mobile internet services in 13 districts and tehsils of Punjab to uphold law and order. It’s notable that mobile and internet services were also disrupted during the February 8 general elections. Furthermore, access to the social media platform X has been interrupted since February 17, following allegations of electoral malpractice made by the former Rawalpindi commissioner against the chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan.
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