Pakistan elections 2024: Polls close in vote marred by internet cut
Nawaz Sharif, who is pictured with his daughter Maryam, is running for election with the goal of becoming the Prime Minister for the fourth time.
Rewritten: This blog section is written by Yvette Tan, Caroline Davies, and Simon Fraser.
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The voting period in Pakistan has ended and mobile calls and data services were temporarily halted by the authorities during the election. Despite controversy, millions of citizens cast their ballots to choose a new government.
The ministry responsible for the country's internal affairs declared that due to the increasing number of terrorist acts, it was imperative to establish this action.
The upcoming election will take place almost two years after the previous prime minister, who was once a cricketer and then turned to politics, was removed from his position through a no-confidence vote.
Nawaz Sharif, who has served as Prime Minister three times before, was a candidate in what experts are calling one of the most questionable elections ever held in Pakistan.
Khan was imprisoned for being involved in corruption charges the previous year, causing him to be disqualified from running for office. His political party described the recent internet disconnection as an act of cowardice.
Once the polls closed, the process of tallying the votes began without any delay. The initial outcomes are anticipated to be available by tomorrow, although the voting trends may not become evident until the following day, Friday, and in some cases, may remain unclear. It is essential to ensure that the results are made public within two weeks of the election date.
People who are knowledgeable about elections had previously predicted that there would be a small number of people who would come out to vote, which could negatively affect the PTI's likelihood of winning. The closure of cellular network services made it more challenging for voters to locate their designated voting areas.
Just before the voting started, both the calling and data services were stopped, but the wifi networks seemed to be functioning.
A voter expressed surprise to the BBC about the verdict and conveyed that voters should be given ease rather than being encountered with difficulties.
Someone else mentioned that they were anticipating a complete shutdown.
The BBC was informed by several Lahore residents that they were unable to hire taxis to reach polling booths due to the internet blackout. Additionally, some individuals disclosed that they were unable to communicate with their family members to plan when to head to the polling booths.
Explaining the decision, a representative from the Interior Ministry stated: "Due to the recent acts of terrorism that have occurred in the nation, we have tragically lost innocent lives. It is imperative that security measures are established in order to uphold a peaceful environment and address any possible dangers."
Pakistan has a past marked by incidents of militant violence, however during the recent voting day there were only a few localized incidents of violence. The most severe incident took place in Dera Ismail Khan in the northern part of the country where a bomb attack on a police vehicle resulted in the deaths of four police officials. There were reports of several injuries caused by blasts in the south-western Balochistan province, however, no one lost their life.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the son of the deceased former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, spoke out against the shutdown and demanded that services be reinstated without delay.
The nation is in a state of great alertness as security is tight at voting locations across the land. At a polling station in Lahore, BBC reporters witnessed armed guards posted at the entrance and the presence of army officials patrolling the area.
During the elections, Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson announced that the borders between Afghanistan and Iran have been shut to all cargo and individuals to "guarantee absolute security."
In previous times, the nation has restricted internet access to regulate the spread of information - notwithstanding, a complete stoppage of this magnitude is unparalleled, most especially during the course of an election.
Nawaz Sharif Claims Fair Election
On Thursday afternoon, Mr Sharif along with his daughter Maryam cast their votes in Icchra, Lahore. For their safety, there was strict security measures in place as officers formed a protective circle around them. Additionally, a jeep equipped with antennas was used to block any phone signals in the vicinity.
As the duo arrived at the station, they saw a multitude of black vehicles parked in the vicinity.
When Mr Sharif was questioned about his views regarding the fairness of the election, he stated that he believed the election was "completely impartial".
When he spoke to the BBC after casting his vote outside the polling station, he claimed that he had never faced any issues with the military. However, it appears as if he forgot about the disagreements he had with the high-ranking officers during his extensive tenure.
During his speech, Mr Sharif referred to the absence of politeness, the sense of superiority, and the damaging nature prevalent in the country. It seems he was talking about the current state of Pakistan under Imran Khan's leadership.
He shared that he and his family had spent time behind bars, "made efforts and now we are present to witness this day." If their political party emerges victorious, "people will experience a simpler lifestyle, there will be a decline in inflation - that's what the public desires, that's what they hope for - and their hopes should be fulfilled," he included.
located near a polling station in Lahore, there were police officers with guns protecting a school that belongs to the government.
Some women who were working as polling agents outside a voting center in Multan, Punjab expressed to the BBC that they were denied permission to go inside the poll booths, resulting in them being unable to monitor the polling procedures.
Usually, women who conduct surveys are allocated a place to sit inside the voting stations.
Numerous individuals casting their votes in Lahore converged into the narrow hallways of a school situated in Naseerabad. A few of them expressed their frustration as they waited for over two hours to exercise their right to vote.
"Growing Violence And Financial Hardship"
A total of 128 million people have registered to vote, with almost half being younger than 35 years old. There are over 5,000 candidates in the running for the 266 seats that will be directly-elected in the 336-member National Assembly. It's disappointing that only 313 of those candidates are women.
The impending election acknowledges the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as the leading political factions.
Selecting candidates from Khan's political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has become a challenging task because they were prohibited from using their symbol, which was a cricket bat and is used by all their candidates during the election.
The decision has compelled independent candidates supported by PTI to opt for different symbols such as calculators, electric heaters, and dice. The usage of electoral symbols holds significant importance in a nation where more than 40% of the population cannot read.
The voting papers contain images such as polar bears and peacocks.
The PTI claims that additional methods have been employed to stop their members from running for office and succeeding, like imprisoning PTI affiliates and backers and prohibiting them from organizing gatherings, which effectively drives them into hiding.
Imran Khan has been given a prison term of at least 14 years after receiving a guilty verdict in three distinct trials that took place within five days of last week. The PTI has made accusations of intervention by the potent military of Pakistan, with whom Khan supposedly had a conflict before being removed from office and put in jail.
However, citizens were given the opportunity to cast their ballot for Nawaz Sharif - the head of PML-N, who during the previous election, was commencing a prison sentence for unethical conduct.
The ex-Prime Minister was removed from power in a military takeover back in 1999 and his third term was ended prematurely in 2017. However, he has now made a comeback after spending some time in exile. It's worth noting that his ban on holding office for life was lifted last year, and his criminal record was also cleared, enabling him to potentially run for a historic fourth term.
Yet, it remains uncertain if a political party can secure a majority in parliament, which necessitates 169 seats.
for office in Pakistan's upcoming general election. In the upcoming general election in Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto are eligible to run for office, while Imran Khan is currently incarcerated and unable to participate in the race.
Many people are going through tough times due to the economic troubles in the nation, which were made worse by severe floods in 2022. The cost of goods and services is increasing rapidly, and individuals are finding it challenging to cover their expenses. Additionally, the rate of violent incidents is increasing.
The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Islamabad reported that incidents of violence in Pakistan have been increasing for three straight years now, with the highest number of deaths recorded in 2023 involving security forces, militants, and ordinary citizens. This number has not been as high since 2017.
The Pakistan Election Commission has put about 50% of the total 90,675 polling stations into two categories known as "sensitive" and "most sensitive". The "sensitive" category is for areas that have a moderate likelihood of violence, while the "most sensitive" category is for areas that have a high likelihood of violence. These classifications depend on the security situation in the area and any past instances of violent elections.
Even though the voting period has closed, firm guidelines regarding election reporting such as candidate discussions, campaign statements, and poll results will stay enforced until Thursday at 23:59 in the local time zone (or 19:00 coordinated universal time).
Further contribution from BBC Urdu and Flora Drury as well.
