Police officers outside a polling station in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan, February 8, 2024/Reuters
The parliamentary elections in Pakistan are being held today (Thursday) under heavy security, in the shadow of a series of deadly terrorist attacks, and the authorities have even temporarily disabled cell phone services throughout the country.
The opposition condemned the move, which further undermines the credibility of the process, in the end of which former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to win.
At the same time as shutting down the networks, Pakistan closed some of its border crossings with Afghanistan and Iran, after yesterday 26 people were killed in two attacks near election headquarters in the province of Balochistan.
The "Islamic State" organization accepted responsibility for them.
Thousands of police officers were deployed at polling stations throughout the country, but four of them were killed in the attack this morning.
In addition, hand grenades were reported to have been thrown in Balochistan, but an official in the authorities said that the vote was not affected because there were no casualties.
"Due to the recent terrorist incidents in the country, precious lives have been lost, and security measures are necessary to maintain a state of law and order and deal with possible threats," reads the Ministry of Interior's announcement about shutting down cellular and internet services.
Pakistan is in the midst of a severe economic crisis and is deeply divided over the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Khan, a former cricket star who was ousted by parliament two years ago in the shadow of his conflict with the powerful army, remains very popular despite the authorities' efforts to suppress his party and supporters.
Policemen stand next to burqa-clad women after voting at a polling station in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan, February 8, 2024/Reuters
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, called on the authorities to immediately restore the media.
"I asked my party to contact the election commission and the courts regarding this," the 35-year-old young leader wrote in X.
But the Commissioner of the Election Commission, Sikander Sultan Raja, said that the decision was made by the "Law and Order Agency" following yesterday's attacks, and his commission will not interfere in the matter.
The shutdown of the networks also followed Khan's call to his supporters, who last year were involved in a violent clash with the security forces following his arrest, to wait outside the polling stations until the results were announced.
His party called on citizens to eliminate the need for passwords from their personal Wi-Fi accounts "so that everyone nearby can access the internet during this most important day".
Khan, who was sentenced to many years in prison, voted in the facility where he is being held in the city of Rawalpindi.
Some voters also expressed anger and said that they could not order transportation to the polling stations or communicate with their family members.
"Due to this, communication with voters and others is very difficult. We are facing so many problems because of the internet shutdown," said Mehmood Chaudhry, 50, a school teacher who voted in the city of Rawalpindi.
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The first and unofficial results are expected to be published a few hours after the polls close in the afternoon, and the picture will start to become clearer tomorrow.
The main struggle is between the Pakistan Muslim League of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is considered the leading candidate and has held office three times already, and candidates supported by Khan's party.
Bhutto Zardari also ran an aggressive campaign in his bid for the top position.
Despite the intense cold, long lines were registered at the polling stations hours before the start of voting.
"The country is in danger, why should I come late?" said 86-year-old Mumtaz, who was born a decade before Pakistan's independence, while standing in line to vote in the capital, Islamabad.
Although there is not expected to be a clear winner in the election, the military will play a decisive role in the identity of the next prime minister of the nuclear-armed country.
He has ruled, directly or indirectly, Pakistan since its inception despite his claims that he does not interfere in politics.
Without a stable government, Pakistan will struggle to face its many challenges, chief among them a request for new bailout programs from the International Monetary Fund, after the current one expires next month.
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Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif