ISLAMABAD: Expre­ssing satisfaction at the poll­ing exercise, a team of inter­national observers from the Commonwealth, who arrived in Islamabad to monitor the electoral process, on Thursday pla­yed down suspension of mobile cellular services in the country.

During their visit to the Islamabad Model College for Boys F-8/4, in the morning, Commonwealth expe­rts observed that voters had exercised their right to vote without mobile cellular services in the past.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the former Nigerian President, who is leading the team of Commonwealth observers group, said that the suspension of mobile cellular services was a government decision.

Later, in a briefing, Dr Goodluck Jonathan said that Pakistan was one of the key member of Common­wealth countries. “Technical experts had been in Pakistan since December, to work with the Election Commission of Pakistan and other stakeholders,” he said. The team of observes, comprising retired bureaucrats, judges and representatives of electoral bodies, met various stakeholders including journalists and members of civil society.

The observers were deplo­yed in various cities to check arrangements and interact with polling staff and take note of complaints for a comprehensive report about the poll process.

Giving details of visits the team made in Islam­abad, Dr Goodluck Jona­than expressed satisfaction at the level of security arran­gements at the polling stations.

“So far no significant incident of violence was rep­o­rted,” he said, The team will issue a comprehensive report on the electoral process on Saturday, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2024