ISLAMABAD: Dr. Gohar Ejaz, the acting interior minister, stated on Tuesday that the government would only think about blocking internet access on February 8 in response to a request from a district or province given the current state of security.
At a news conference in Islamabad with acting Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, the minister stated, “As of yet, no decision has been made regarding the suspension of internet services at any place.”
One day prior, Solangi dismissed the notion of a February 8 internet shutdown, stating that local governments possess the power to determine whether to implement one given the current state of peace and order. Nevertheless, he emphasized that no such circumstance has been documented as of yet.
On Sunday, the acting Minister of Information for Balochistan, Jan Achakzai, declared that on election day, internet access will be temporarily blocked at the province’s key polling places.
Speaking on the state of law and order today, Ejaz stated that the government was working to ensure that elections were held peacefully and without any fatalities.
“There’s a lot of excitement around the election in Sindh, and it doesn’t seem like any political party is against another,” Ejaz added. He also mentioned that he didn’t observe any conflict amongst the candidates in Balochistan while he was there.
“The parties contesting the polls in Sindh have known each other for years,” he added, adding that we do not want to take the law into our own hands there.
According to the interior minister, there will be three levels of security provided by the government. “The commandos will be deployed in Balochistan to respond in the shortest possible time,” he stated.
“You will be protected by the army, police, and civil defense troops. He declared, “We won’t allow anyone to cast doubt on Pakistan’s independence and integrity.
According to Ejaz, out of the 90,777 polling places in the nation, more than 40,000 have been deemed normal. In the meantime, 16,766 polling places have been designated as most sensitive, and 20,985 polling places as sensitive.
He claimed that over 137,000 law enforcement agencies have been deployed nationwide and that at least seven to eight law enforcement officers will be stationed at each voting place.
“Pakistan Army troops will be deployed as quick reaction force (QRF),” stated Ejaz.
The minister added that on February 8, people should cast ballots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is the region most affected by terrorism.
According to Ejaz, it is the government’s responsibility to safeguard the lives of all citizens.
