Mobile internet cut as controversial polls held in Pakistan election

Mobile internet cut as controversial polls held in Pakistan electionMobile internet cut as controversial polls held in Pakistan election.

Pakistan has temporarily suspended mobile calls and internet services in response to many citizens going to the polls to elect a new administration. Mobile internet services were suspended during the contentious Pakistan election.

The step was deemed justified by an interior ministry spokesperson, who referenced previous acts of terrorism in the nation.

The next election is scheduled to take place almost two years after the former prime Minister, Imran Khan, who transitioned from being a cricketer to a politician, was removed from office via a vote of no confidence.

Nawaz Sharif, who has served as Prime Minister three times, is now a candidate in what most pundits consider Pakistan's most unreliable election.

Khan was incarcerated on allegations of corruption in the previous year and is now disqualified from running for office.

Both voice and internet services have been temporarily halted while wifi networks are still operational.

A voter expressed astonishment, stating that electors should be assisted rather than encountering such obstacles.

Another individual expressed anticipation of a comprehensive and complete closure.

Many voters in Lahore expressed that the internet blackout hindered their ability to reserve taxis for transportation to the voting locations. Additionally, several individuals said they could not communicate with their family members to synchronise their visits to the polling stations.

The decision was justified by an Interior Ministry spokesperson who cited the loss of valuable lives due to recent acts of terrorism in the nation. Security measures are vital for maintaining law and order and addressing possible threats.

On Wednesday, two explosive detonations resulted in the death of 28 individuals in the province of Balochistan.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, strongly denounced the closure and demanded a rapid restoration of services. Mr Bhutto, a candidate for the highest position, said that his Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had contacted the electoral commission and the courts to reinstate services.

The country is in a heightened state of vigilance, with a significant deployment of security personnel across voting centres. During their tour to Lahore, We saw a station where armed guards were stationed at the entrance and army officials were patrolling the vicinity.

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson has announced the closure of border crossings with Afghanistan and Iran for freight and pedestrians to provide comprehensive security throughout the election process.

Historically, the government has used internet service disruptions as a means of regulating the dissemination of information. However, a shutdown of this magnitude, particularly before an election, is unparalleled.

The election is very fair: Nawaz Sharif.

On Thursday afternoon, Mr Sharif and his daughter, Maryam, voted at Icchra, Lahore. The security measures were stringent, as cops encircled them, and a vehicle equipped with antennae was there to disrupt phone connections.

The station was filled with a row of black automobiles when the two arrived.

When questioned about his perception of the election's fairness, Mr Sharif confidently said it was "entirely fair."

He said that he had never had any issues with the military outside the polling booth after voting.

Mr. Sharif expressed concerns about the absence of politeness, the sense of superiority, and the prevailing atmosphere of disturbance and devastation in the nation, perhaps alluding to the state of Pakistan under Mr. Khan's leadership.

He said that he and his family had been incarcerated and "endured hardships, and now we are present to observe this momentous occasion" According to him if his party emerged victorious, there would be a reduction in inflation and an improvement in people's lives, which aligns with their desires and aspirations.

The voting period concludes at 1700 local time (1200 GMT). The regulations governing election coverage, including restrictions on discussing candidates, campaigns, and opinion polls, will continue to be enforced until 23:59 local time on Thursday. 

The timing of the results' announcement remains to be determined. However, they must be disclosed within two weeks after the vote.

At a polling station in Multan, Punjab, a group of female polling agents were informed that they were prohibited from entering the polling booths, thereby preventing them from observing the election process.

Usually, female poll workers are seated inside the voting booths.

Dozens of voters in Lahore were tightly packed into the narrow hallways of a school in Naseerabad, with some individuals reporting a wait of almost two hours to cast their votes.

Escalating levels of violence and ongoing economic challenges

One hundred twenty-eight million individuals are registered to exercise their voting rights, with about 50% below 35. Five thousand candidates, with just 313 women, compete for the 266 directly-elected seats in the 336-member National Assembly.

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and the PPP are widely recognised as the two dominant political parties in the next election.

Nevertheless, selecting candidates from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has become more difficult due to the party's prohibition on using the cricket bat emblem, which all its candidates typically campaign under.

As a result of the action, candidates supported by PTI, who are running as independent candidates, have been compelled to use other symbols such as calculators, electric heaters, and dice. Electoral symbols are crucial in a nation over 40% lack literacy skills.

The PTI claims that other strategies have been used to hinder its candidates from campaigning and securing seats. These methods include detaining PTI members and supporters and prohibiting them from organising rallies, thereby compelling them to operate covertly.

Imran Khan is now incarcerated for a minimum of 14 years since he received convictions in three distinct incidents over five days last week. The PTI claims that Pakistan's influential military, with whom Khan is said to have had a falling out before his removal and detention, has engaged in intervention.

However, individuals will have the opportunity to vote for Nawaz Sharif, the head of the PML-N party, serving a term for corruption during the last election.

The ex-Prime Minister was deposed in a military coup in 1999 and had his third term abruptly ended in 2017, but he has recently returned after voluntarily living outside the country. At the end of last year, he successfully appealed his lifelong ban on holding office and had his criminal record expunged, enabling him to run for an unprecedented fourth term.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if any political party can get a majority, which necessitates obtaining 169 members in the House.

The country's economic troubles, worsened by the catastrophic floods in 2022, have severely impacted millions. The inflation rate is rapidly increasing, causing individuals to need help meeting their financial obligations.

The Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) reports that in 2023, Pakistan had a consecutive third-year rise in violent occurrences, resulting in the highest number of reported deaths since 2017, including casualties among security personnel, terrorists, and civilians.

Just one day before the first voters went to the polls, two distinct assaults on candidates' offices in Balochistan province resulted in the deaths of over 28 individuals.

Out of the total 90,675 polling stations, the Election Commission of Pakistan has classified around 50% of them as either "sensitive" or "most sensitive". The term "sensitive" implies a potential for violence, while "most sensitive" indicates a greater level of danger. The categories are determined by the region's security status and past instances of election violence.