Ahmed Shah, the acting minister for information in Sindh, has stated that as the situation is “under control” in advance of the election on February 8, the province’s top committee has not addressed the possibility of mobile service suspension.
Shah gave a warning that anti-state groups are planning terrorist strikes in the nation but stressed that the government will be ready to handle whatever opportunity the adversary may try to take advantage of after the elections.
The interim interior minister, Gohar Ejaz, made these comments on Tuesday, the same day that the federal administration alluded to the prospect of suspending internet access upon request from a district or province due to the security situation.
In a related development earlier in the day, the Sindh High Court (SHC) maintained its stay order from January 24, ordering the government to maintain nationwide internet connectivity, including mobile internet service, until the Pakistani election on February 8.
Regarding the attack on Monday on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Zulfiqar Ali Shah, who is from the PS-46 constituency in Mirpurkhas, close to the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto bypass, the information minister for Sindh stated that the authorities are not aware of the perpetrators of the firing incident at this time.
Shah insisted, “[We] cannot comment [on incident] until confirmation.”
The incident occurs against the backdrop of a notable uptick in terrorist acts in the nation, which has raised concerns about the state of law and order in numerous parts of the country continue to loom, particularly with regard to KP and Balochistan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was forced to postpone elections in the NA-8 and PK-22 constituencies of the National Assembly due to the recent terror wave, which saw miscreants target both independent and party candidates in the lead-up to the polls. This was because election hopeful Rehan Zeb Khan was shot and killed inside the constituencies.
In response to questions about how the polls were covered by the media, the minister clarified that members of the press are free to carry out their jobs and that non-journalists and those without the necessary credentials will not be permitted inside voting places.
