Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz has committed to safeguarding the integrity of the upcoming February 8 elections, emphasizing that national security will not be compromised under any circumstances.
During a press conference in Islamabad, he assured the public that measures are in place to prevent any disruption of the electoral process. Ejaz highlighted the deployment of facial recognition technology and the assignment of seven to eight security personnel to each of the 90,777 polling stations, categorized by their security risk, underscored the government’s determination to conduct free and fair elections.
Maintaining Communication Services
In parallel, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi addressed concerns regarding the potential suspension of mobile and internet services on election day. He clarified that the government had not issued any directives for such suspensions, highlighting the autonomy of local administrations in making security-related decisions. Solangi also outlined efforts to support local and foreign journalists and observers, including establishing an online helpline to assist media professionals, thereby facilitating transparent election coverage.
Despite the backdrop of security challenges and the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, Solangi reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to combat terrorism and ensure the stability of its democratic processes. This stance is further supported by the proactive measures taken to address technical issues that led to recent internet outages, with both the Caretaker Government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) attributing these disruptions to technical faults and ongoing system upgrades.
