ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has established a high-level committee to oversee security measures for the upcoming February 8 elections, amidst growing concerns among political figures regarding the law and order situation.
As per an official notification from the Prime Minister’s Office, Federal Minister for Communications, Railways, and Maritime Affairs Shahid Ashraf Tarar will lead the seven-member committee. The committee comprises the secretary of the Ministry of Interior and the chief secretaries of all four provinces — Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab.
The formation of this committee takes place just days before the elections, as several political figures have either called for enhanced security measures or a potential delay in the elections due to the prevailing uncertain law and order conditions.
Previous election campaigns have experienced episodes of violence, with numerous candidates and voters becoming targets of bombings and gun attacks.
Last week, an independent candidate campaigning for the provincial assembly, along with two aides, was killed when his vehicle came under gunfire in the province, according to the police.
On Tuesday, caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar, in an official order, cautioned about multiple reports of attacks on election candidates, including cases of kidnappings in broad daylight. He characterized it as a “rising tide of crime.”
Notably, the past year recorded the highest casualties in six years, with over 1,500 civilians, security forces, and militants killed, as reported by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains a significant militant threat to the country, and Islamabad has accused Kabul’s Taliban government of sheltering TTP fighters, enabling them to launch attacks on Pakistani soil with impunity. Kabul has consistently denied these allegations.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
