Live: Elections 2024

Islamabad police has said that security at polling stations is on alert.

“The [police] personnel reached the polling stations across the territory yesterday morning. As long as the polling stations are staffed, security will remain alert.

“Along with 6,500 personnel of Islamabad police, 1,000 FC, 1,500 Rangers and Pakistan Army personnel are performing their duties in the federal capital,” it said.

Former prime minister Imran Khan and other prominent incarcerated political figures have cast their votes through a postal ballot from Adiala Jail, sources said.

Other political leaders who have managed to vote by mail included former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

However, Bushra Bibi, was unable to partake in the voting as she was convicted and arrested after the completion of the postal voting process.

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The interior ministry has decided to “temporarily suspend mobile services across the country” in light of the “deteriorating security situation”.

In a statement, the ministry said, “Recent surge in terrorist activities resulting in precious lives have stirred security environment in the country.”

Therefore, it added, “need has arisen to take measures to safeguard against” security threats.

Geo News is reporting that mobile phone services have been disrupted in several parts of the country, including Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.

With 56m of the voters below the age of 35, and roughly 29m in the 36-45 bracket, Pakistan’s younger generations are in a position to heavily influence the results. There is also a marked gender imbalance in the electoral rolls, with women voters accounting for only 46 per cent of all registered voters.

Voters will elect 266 candidates to the National Assembly, who will later, by a majority vote, elect the next prime minister. Simultaneously, voters will also elect representatives to their respective provincial assemblies, who will then elect the provincial chief executives under a similar process. Elections have been postponed in one national and three provincial assembly constituencies due to the deaths of contesting candidates. These are NA-8 (Bajaur), PK-22 (Bajaur), PK-91 (Kohat) and PP-266 (Rahim Yar Khan). Voters elsewhere will cast two votes each — one for each of the two assemblies.

In all, 17,816 candidates are in the running, of which 12,695 will be contesting for provincial assembly seats and 5,121 for the National Assembly. They include 16,930 males, 882 females and four transgender persons. Of these, 6,031 candidates — 5,726 males and 275 females — are contesting on a political party’s ticket. The remaining 11,785 are contesting as independents, of which 11,174 are males, 607 females and four transgender persons.

US Congressman Bill Huizenga has urged the government of Pakistan to “prioritise free and fair elections, due process, the rule of law and respect for human rights”.

Voting is set to start in almost an hour at polling stations across the country for the national and provincial assemblies.

The polling process, with more than 128 million registered voters, will continue till 5pm.

Check out the post by the Election Commission of Pakistan below to know the right method of casting your vote.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has called for the government to finally take steps to resolve the issue of missing persons and has condemned the treatment meted out to Baloch protesters in Islamabad.

He said there should be an improvement in how the government treats those protesting in this regard. “I am not satisfied with the approach of caretaker federal and provincial government,” he said about the recent Baloch protests.

Bilawal said a message should have been sent back to Balochistan that the state cared about its interests.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that as per his experience from the campaign trail all over the country, “the ground reality is that the PML-N is not even reaching 100 seats by far”.

He said it remained to be seen what the people decided.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that it is “impossible” for him to become part of a government led by either Sharif brother.

Talking to Geo News, Bilawal said he had a better working relationship and rapport with Shehbaz Sharif over Nawaz Sharif but it was still “impossible for me to take part in a government with either Nawaz or Shehbaz with the PML-N continuing with the same old politics”.

Punjab Election Commissioner Ijaz Anwar Chohan has said that political parties and candidates should play their role for free, fair and transparent elections and ensure compliance with the code of conduct on polling day.

Talking to the media in Lahore, he said, “If political parties and candidates take such steps that create obstacles to the smooth conduct of elections, appropriate measures will be taken”.

He said that returning officers and the presiding officers had been given adequate powers to exercise in such circumstances, adding that the police and army personnel would also be present and it was their duty to control the law and order situation.

The provincial election commissioner said that all arrangements were finalised for the conduct of general elections in Punjab, urging voters to come out of their homes and cast votes.

Reiterating the commission’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process, he affirmed readiness to tackle any challenges on polling day.

There are traffic jams on major roads in Karachi due to election-related duties, according to updates from the traffic police.

The police said heavy traffic was present in Steel Town, Mauripur road, Jinnah Bridge, Rashid Minhas road, Soldier Bazaar and other areas.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized that Nawaz Sharif will be the prime ministerial candidate for the party if the PML-N secures a simple majority in the February 8 polls.

“When the people give their mandate tomorrow, we will discuss it. And if we secure a simple majority, Mian Nawaz Sharif will be our candidate,” he affirmed to Geo News.

The Interior Ministry has established a control room to monitor the overall security situation in the country on the eve of the general elections, state-run Radio Pakistan reports.

Representatives from all provincial home departments, police, the election commission, and concerned agencies will monitor the security situation round the clock through the control room.

The central control room in Islamabad will maintain constant communication with the provincial, regional, and district control rooms.

Close liaison between law enforcement agencies and other departments will be ensured for a timely response in case of any complaint or untoward incident.

PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said the party has given no instruction to the public to take the law into its own hands and engage in vandalism.

Talking to Geo News, he said people had the right to peaceful protest and hoped that there would not be a need for people to stage demonstrations.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has directed authorities to maintain high alertness in security measures and expedite necessary deployments to ensure foolproof security for voters, state-run Radio Pakistan reports.

The instructions come after at least 28 people were killed in back-to-back blasts in Balochistan on the eve of general elections. Separately, a grenade attack was reported in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

According to Radio Pakistan, CEC Raja held a phone call with all four provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs. He directed the officials to ensure the protection of the offices of district returning officers and returning officers.

Furthermore, he expressed condolences over the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and urged officials to take necessary measures to prevent such incidents. Raja also assured them of the ECP’s full support and assistance in this regard.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said that a new government following elections will be compelled to undertake major decisions and pursue another programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Speaking to Geo News, Shehbaz said the restructuring of the economy is the need of the hour to address broader issues facing the national economy.

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that his party excels in economic management compared to other political factions, particularly the PML-N.

One person was killed while three were injured after a hand grenade exploded near Haji Limo Goth in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal, according to police.

In a statement, Mubina Town Police Station House Officer (SHO) Abdul Sattar said the police and bomb disposal team are at the spot to collect evidence. Further investigation is underway, he added.

The incident was reported soon after JUI-F’s Hafiz Hamdullah survived a gun attack on his convoy in Balochistan. Earlier, at least 28 people were killed after back-to-back blasts hit the province on the eve of general elections.

A photo of former prime minister Imran Khan has been circulating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) since Tuesday, with some claiming it to be taken the same day in Adiala Jail and presenting it as if it was fresh.

An investigation into the picture’s origin has found that it was not from Tuesday, and it was instead taken a few weeks ago.

Read more here.

JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah’s vehicle has come under gunfire in Balochistan’s Chaman, the party’s provincial information secretary, Dilawar Kakar, told Dawn.com.

He said Hamdullah remained safe in the attack. Kakar added that the JUI-F leader’s guards responded to the firing upon which the attackers fled from the scene.

According to the party secretary, Hamdullah was travelling from Chaman to Quetta when the incident took place.

The incident comes hours after at least 28 people lost their lives in back-to-back blasts in the province. In Qila Saifullah, a blast occurred outside the JUI-F election office.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued a show-cause notice to PML-N renegade and independent candidate for Narowal’s NA-75 constituency Daniyal Aziz for violations of the election code of conduct.

The commission additionally said that in the case of Aziz winning the general election, his notification would be contingent on the watchdog’s verdict.

The months leading up to the Feb 8 general elections witnessed crucial developments in the country’s political sphere — the return of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif after a four-year exile, the incarceration of PTI founder Imran Khan and the subsequent dismantling of his party.

The developments were followed by the withdrawal of the PTI’s ‘bat’ electoral symbol, which has resulted in candidates contesting the polls as independents and the party losing out on reserved seats.

With the February 8 elections just a day away, political activity in the country has reached fever pitch after a sluggish start. Campaigning ceased yesterday at midnight. For seasoned politicians, the election season is business as usual.

However, due to the PTI’s predicament, there have emerged a number of unexpected candidates contesting this year’s polls as the party tries to circumvent the obstacles in its path.

Read more here

Given the complexity of Pakistan’s electoral dynamics and unpredictability of the role the various ‘external’ stakeholders may play in it, there have been very few instances in the country’s democratic history when any party has been so confident in its chances that it has relied on campaigning alone to win itself an election.

In reality, despite having all the appearances of a rowdy public brawl, every election has been played like a game of chess.

Most ordinary voters may not realise this, but every political party fights an election on two fronts. The first is the performative one; one that requires prominent faces to strut or weep on stage and woo voters with outlandish promises and/or seductive ‘bayaania’ (narrative, if you so prefer).

The other is a quieter one; one fought by electoral ‘scientists’ — people who know the ins and outs of the electoral process — who work behind the scenes to ensure their party is in a position to win even before the first vote is ever cast.

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Pakistan has had 11 direct general elections so far, with the 12th edition due tomorrow (Feb 8). In theory, this democratic activity is supposed to put the representatives chosen by the masses in charge, which in turn are expected to put the country back on track.

But despite nearly a dozen elections in the bag, general elections in Pakistan do not rid the country of its long running ailments. If anything, they create more strife within political parties.

One big reason that happens is due to the system being ‘rigged’ or ‘manipulated’ in favour of some blue-eyed flavour-of-the-month types, but against certain undesirables no more in the good books of the powers that be.

Read more here

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has held the chief justice of Pakistan, chief election commissioner and law enforcement agencies answerable for the back-to-back blasts in Balochistan earlier in the day.

At least 28 people were killed in the blasts, which occurred outside election offices of the JUI-F and an independent candidate in Qila Saifullah and Pishin, respectively.

In a statement on X, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said state institutions had failed to maintain the law and order situation in the country. “Political scoundrels who made fun of our reservations are responsible for the blood of these martyrs,” he stated.

The spokesperson urged party workers to step forward and help the administration with medical aid.

JI’s Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that 10 out of 30 books of ballot papers were missing at Karachi’s NA-238 constituency, warning that the party would not tolerate any such actions.

Former Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations, the UK, and the United States, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, has said that the significance of voter turnout would reaffirm public faith in electoral mechanisms, APP reports.

She emphasised the importance of young people utilising their voting rights and termed it a pathway towards a more robust and inclusive democratic system.

In response to a query regarding public scepticism on the polling process, Dr Lodhi stressed that robust youth participation would help dispel rumours and perceptions of disillusionment.

Independent candidate Asfandyar Kakar, whose election office in Pishin was targeted in a suicide blast earlier today, has said he was not in office at the time of the blast.

Speaking to reporters, Kakar, who is contesting elections from Pishin I, said he was in Balochistan’s Bashore tehsil at the time of the blast.

A meeting was underway to finalise the names of polling agents at the election office in Pishin, Kakar said, adding that a large number of people had attended the meeting.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has termed it “truly unfortunate” that the PML-N didn’t agree to a debate with him, claiming that the rival party “ran away from it”.

Last week, the former foreign minister had challenged PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for a debate. In his response, Shehbaz Sharif had urged Bilawal to refrain from making the political atmosphere “tense” and from taking political rivalries too far.

In a social media post today, the Bhutto scion said he had aimed to address the myth in the debate that Punjab’s reforms were better than any other province due to the PML-N.

Supporters of PTI founder Imran Khan say they will take evasive measures to cast votes backing the jailed politician in tomorrow’s general elections. PTI voters told AFP that they anticipate polling-day interference and will deploy tactics to blend in with supporters of other parties.

“Flags and badges are for showing off, but the vote is from the heart,” said 22-year-old mobile phone salesman Barkat Ullah at an Islamabad market, explaining he would keep a low profile on election day.

But 25-year-old first-time voter Waseem Ali said he would escort each family member “one by one, to avoid forming a crowd and grabbing attention”.

In Islamabad, Hassan Ali pledged he would march towards his polling station to vote sporting PTI badges and flags, playing party songs.

“How many are they going to stop?” asked the 28-year-old. “I’m not scared of anyone,” he said, adding that if he’s turned away he “will join any other party’s crowd” to cast a vote backing Imran.