Two explosions went off near the offices of election candidates in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, local officials said Wednesday, killing 22 people and raising security concerns ahead of Thursday’s election.
Pakistan went to the polls amid an increase in militant attacks in recent months and the imprisonment of Imran Khan, the winner of the last national election, who has dominated headlines even as an economic crisis and other problems threaten the nuclear-armed nation.
Authorities have said they are beefing up security at polling stations.
The first attack, which killed 12, took place at the office of an independent election candidate in Pishin district.
The second blast in Qilla Saifullah, a town near the Afghan border, went off near the offices of Jamiat Ulama Islam (JUI), a religious party that had previously been the target of militant attacks, according to the province’s information minister.
Security personnel inspect the site of a bomb blast outside the office of an independent candidate on the eve of Pakistan’s national election on February 7, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
It is unclear who is behind the attack.
Several groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and separatist groups from Balochistan, oppose the Pakistani state and have carried out attacks in recent months.
Khanzai Hospital, close to the blast site in Pishin, put the death toll at 12 and said more than two dozen were injured.
Workers and volunteers transport injured victims of the Pashin district bomb blast as they arrive at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 7, 2024. AP
The Deputy Commissioner of Pishin district, Jumma Dad Khan, said that the explosion had injured many people.
The attack came as political parties ended their campaigns during a quiet period mandated by election rules a day before the election.
Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Khan earlier urged his supporters to wait outside polling stations after casting their ballots, as rival political parties held mass rallies to mark the end of the election campaign period.
People stand next to the bodies of victims in a morgue at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, as they try to identify them following a bomb blast in Pashin district on February 7, 2024. AP
Any mass gathering of Khan’s supporters near the booth could raise tensions because of what they call a military-backed crackdown on him and his party that has blocked the campaign.
The military denies meddling in politics.
“Encourage the maximum number of people to vote, wait at the polling station … and then stay peacefully outside the Returning Officer’s office until the final results are announced,” Khan said via his handle on social media platform X, accompanied by an undated photo depicting him wearing simple black dress.
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The origin of the image, Khan’s first in months, is unclear.
Khan’s supporters have previously disseminated his message, including through AI-generated audio speeches, from notes he delivered through his lawyer during prison visits.
Other political parties are also winding down their campaigns.
Pakistani military personnel patrol along a street in Peshawar February 7, 2024. AFP via Getty Images Members of the election commission work to distribute materials for the general election in Lahore, Pakistan February 7, 2024. REUTERS
Election frontrunner Nawaz Sharif led a massive rally in the eastern city of Kasur, with his brother, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, contesting in the constituency.
Amidst a sea of tens of thousands of supporters waving the green party flag, Sharif called on the country’s large youth population to support his party and took aim at Khan who had previously attracted the support of young voters in the area.
“Don’t fall in love with him,” said Sharif.
Army soldiers patrol vehicles along a road in Karachi on February 7, 2024, a day before Pakistan’s national election. AFP via Getty Images
Supporters of the rival Pakistan People’s Party also gathered in the southern city of Larkana led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who could play the role of kingpin if no party receives enough parliamentary seats to form an outright government.
The former foreign minister and son of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto criticized opponents, including Sharif, for what he described as undermining the country’s security and economy during their tenure.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
