The Taliban on Friday stepped up their threats against landmark elections, warning voters to boycott polling stations to save their lives as bloody attacks targeted party offices. Campaigning ended at midnight with impassioned pleas for votes from frontrunner Nawaz Sharif, a steel tycoon bidding for a historic third term as prime minister, and cricket star Imran Khan looking for a breakthrough.
Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) movement says democracy is unIslamic and has singled out the outgoing parties for particular threat, curtailing campaigning for the Pakistan People's Party and its main allies. Attacks on politicians and political parties have killed more than 120 people since mid-April, according to AFP, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said the elections were the most violent in the country's history.
"To revolt against this system, the TTP have planned several actions on May 11, so we appeal to the people to stay away from polling stations to save their lives," Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said. The PPP has run a lacklustre and rudderless campaign in the face of the threats and with its chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, too young to run. HRCP on Friday voiced "acute concern" not just from threats and violence targeting individuals "but much more from the manner in which the violence has already impaired the fairness of the elections almost beyond repair".
It called on all institutions to "stretch themselves to their absolute limit to ensure security of voters, candidates and polling stations on Saturday so that the people can exercise their right to choose their representatives". The election commission says that 179 million ballot papers are being distributed to around 70,000 polling stations nation-wide under army supervision.
Comments
Comments are closed.