Amid cell phone, internet shutdown, polls close in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD / KARACHI (AA) – Polling in Pakistan closed on Thursday after millions of eligible voters cast their ballot in general election to elect a new government for the next five years amid heightened security and suspension of cellphone and mobile internet services. The polling day witnessed several bombings which resulted in at least eight deaths.

Polling began at 8 a.m. local time (0300GMT) and ended at 5 p.m.

Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary troops were deployed across the country to ensure a peaceful election against the backdrop of recent militant attacks on polling stations in the southwestern Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

At least eight people — a child and seven security personnel — were killed and several others were injured in attacks in the two provinces.

Clashes between political party workers were also reported in different parts of the country, but no deaths were reported from any area.

Voters formed long lines outside polling stations in the capital Islamabad, as well as in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta.

More than 128 million people were eligible to vote to elect lawmakers to 266 general seats of the country’s lower parliamentary house — the National Assembly — and 749 general seats in four provincial assemblies.

– Cellphone, mobile internet services cut –

Earlier in the morning, the Interior Ministry ordered a temporary suspension of cellphone service, which also cut mobile internet services across the country.

It said the decision was taken “to take measures to safeguard against” security threats amid a “deteriorating security situation.”

At least 29 people were killed in Pakistan on Wednesday in three separate bombing incidents.

“Real-time network data show that internet blackouts are now in effect in multiple regions of Pakistan in addition to mobile network disruptions; the incident comes on election day and follows months of digital censorship targeting the political opposition,” said a brief statement by NetBlocks.

Reports of delays in voting were received from several areas.

Many people complained that they were having problems finding their polling places as an Election Commission information hotline was not working due to suspended mobile services.

ECP head Sikandar Sultan Raja stressed that the suspension of cellphone and internet services “does not affect” the watchdog’s work.

“Last night authorities told me that internet service will not be suspended but I saw on TV channels (on Thursday morning) that the internet service has been suspended across the country,” Raja told reporters in Islamabad.

However, candidates and members of the public criticized the move.

Former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demanded “immediate” restoration of cellphone service. “Mobile phone services must be restored immediately across the country. I have asked my party to approach both ECP and the courts for this purpose,” Zardari said on X.

“Shutting down mobile networks on polling day is the beginning of election day rigging. Pre-poll environment was already one of the worst in Pak’s history,” Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, an independent candidate from Islamabad, said on X.

Khokhar added: “Cutting candidates off from their agents and staff on election day is unacceptable.”

“How’s one supposed to keep a check and highlight any irregularity? By the time news comes out the election would have been stolen,” he said.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International said the decision to suspend telecommunications and mobile internet services on an election day “is a blunt attack on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

“It is reckless to impede access to information as people head out to polling stations on the heels of devastating bomb blasts and what has been an intense crackdown on the opposition in the lead up to the elections in the country,” said Livia Saccardi, Amnesty’s interim deputy director for South Asia.