RAWALPINDI, April 11: A fifty-member team of international observers arrived at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport here on Thursday.

The team, led by Mr Shoepridge and Mr Henry Charceh, was invited by the foreign office to monitor the general elections 2013.

They would monitor activities including the pre-election day observation, monitoring of the polling day and the post election follow-up.

The government has already decided to restrict the activities of foreign observers to elections and polling stations, and hence they would not be allowed to visit areas where the security situation may put the team in danger.

A mechanism for accreditation of the team of observers with the Election Commission of Pakistan has been devised, which involves strict security clearances for observers to be deployed in the country by the international bodies.

Several international bodies, including the European Union, had expressed keen interest in monitoring the polls. —Mohammad Asghar