Six security personnel were killed in separate attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on Thursday. The attacks occurred as millions of people across the country were casting their votes amid an internet and cellular outage. The decision to block mobile network services was made by the interior ministry in light of the security situation.
In Dera Ismail Khan district, four police officials were killed in an attack on a police patrol. Interim KP Chief Minister Justice (retd) Arshad Hussain Shah condemned the attacks and stated that such incidents would not deter police from performing their duties.
Meanwhile, former lawmaker Mohsin Dawar wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja regarding the serious security situation in Tappi, North Waziristan. He expressed concern about militants issuing threats to locals and polling staff in the constituency.
The recent uptick in terrorism in Pakistan, particularly in KP and Balochistan, has been a cause for concern. At least 28 people lost their lives in back-to-back blasts outside election offices in Balochistan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has voiced concern over all acts of violence against political parties and candidates.
According to an annual security report, Pakistan witnessed a record six-year high in violence-related fatalities and injuries from terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023. KP and Balochistan were the primary centers of violence, with over 90 percent of all fatalities and 84 percent of attacks.