Polls on Feb 8 ‘come what may’: Gohar

islamabad: Following a pivotal meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the security concerns in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Caretaker Interior Minister Dr Gohar Ejaz said on Thursday that the elections would be held on February 8 “come what may.”
The development comes a day after the assassination of a National Assembly independent candidate in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the killing of an ANP activist in Balochistan’s Qilla Abdullah.
A sudden spurt in violence — just eight days before the general elections — also saw a grenade attack on the election campaign office of PPP candidate, Ali Madad Jatak, on Quetta’s Sariab Road. A similar grenade attack was carried out at the residence of another PPP candidate, Mir Zahoor Buledi, in Kech district of Balochistan.
On Tuesday, a bomb blast on a main road in Balochistan’s Sibi during an election rally led by Saddam Tareen, a PTI-affiliated independent candidate for NA-253 (Ziarat) constituency, leaving at least four people dead and five others injured.
“There should be no ambiguity in anyone’s mind about the elections [on February 8]. The ECP and the caretaker government will ensure the conduct of elections, and they will take place on February 8 under all circumstances,” he said while speaking to the media following the ECP meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, saw the participation of key officials, including Secretary Election Commission Dr Asif Hussain, Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz, Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani, chief secretaries of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and inspector generals.