ECP convenes emergency meeting amidst escalating violence in KP and Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has convened a meeting slated for February 1 to address the escalating law and order challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, just eight days before the scheduled national polls.

According to a notification issued by the ECP, the electoral body revealed that the meeting will be attended by the interior minister, interior secretary, chief secretaries of Balochistan and KP, provincial police chiefs, and officials from intelligence agencies.

This development follows swiftly after an independent candidate was fatally shot in KP’s Bajaur district.

According to police, Rehan Zeb Khan fell victim to unidentified assailants while actively engaging in campaign activities in the region.

Seperately, Balochistan witnessed two separate incidents of terror on Wednesday. In Quetta, an attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) election office resulted in five injuries due to a grenade explosion.

In Chaman, a worker associated with the Awami National Party lost his life during the party’s election rally.

A mere day prior, a bomb blast at a PTI rally in Balochistan’s Sibi claimed four lives and left six otherswounded.

The continuous surge in violence is casting a shadow over the forthcoming elections, raising concerns about the overall security situation.