In Pakistan, mobile phone services have been suspended
In order to maintain law and order during the 2024 elections, the Federal Interior Ministry of Pakistan decided to halt internet and mobile phone service nationwide.
Recent terrorist attacks in the nation served as a catalyst for this decision by highlighting how urgent it is to have security measures in place in order to successfully counter prospective threats. The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) 8300 SMS service was impacted by the brief suspension of mobile services, which also had an effect on communication channels during the election process. In a message on X, the interior ministry stated (previously Twitter).
ملک میں دہشت گردی کے حالیہ واقعات کے نتیجے میں قیمتی جانوں کا ضیاع ہوا ہے، امن وامان کی صورتحال کو قائم رکھنے اور ممکنہ خطرات سے نمٹنے کے لیے حفاظتی اقدامات ناگزیر ہیں، اس لیے ملک بھر میں موبائل سروس کو عارضی طور پر معطل کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا گیا ہے۔ ترجمان وزارت داخلہ
— Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) February 8, 2024
Three people were killed and two injured in a horrific hand grenade blast that happened in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighborhood just before services were suspended. Details were provided by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Bahadur, who stated that the explosion occurred as a result of a 17-year-old called Farooq—the son of a police officer—mishandling a hand grenade outside his home.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja directed chief secretaries and provincial police chiefs to step up security measures in response to growing security concerns, especially after terrorist incidents in Balochistan ahead of the general elections in 2024.
Recognized as the fifth-largest democracy in the world, Pakistan started the electoral process to choose representatives for the ensuing five years. This election was expected to have a high voter turnout, making it one of the most expensive polling projects in the history of the country.
The electoral process featured a wide range of political parties, such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and numerous independent candidates, some of whom received backing from PTI.
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