Low voter turnout helped undermine the electoral process for much of Pakistan's history, with such turnout likely a result of a combination of voter apathy and political knowledge that many election outcomes were largely predetermined.

But the 2013 general election was unprecedented for voter participation nationally, and through five years of the last parliament and a number of by-elections, voter turnout and political engagement remained high.

Yet, a voter cannot be expected to turn up at a polling station despite a significant risk to his or her physical safety. The ECP, the caretaker governments and the vast security apparatus to be deployed to help secure the election ought to work to reassure the public and urgently publicise safety measures that will be in place to protect voters.

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