Police officers stand guard outside a polling station in Gulbahar area in Peshawar, Pakistan. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan army personnel stand guard outside a polling station before the start of voting in Pakistan's national elections in Lahore on Thusrday (8 February).
Pakistan suspended mobile phone and data services nationwide on February 8 for election day, in a move a digital rights group said was "inherently undemocratic".
At least five people were killed in militant attacks as Pakistan held a general election today after temporarily suspending mobile phone services across the country and closing some land borders to maintain law and order.
The interior ministry said it took the steps after at least 26 people were killed in two explosions near electoral candidates' offices in the southwestern province of Balochistan on Wednesday. Islamic State later claimed responsibility for those attacks.
"As a result of the recent incidents of terrorism in the country precious lives have been lost, security measures are essential to maintain the law and order situation and deal with possible threats," the ministry said in a post on messaging platform X.
Thousands of troops were deployed on the streets and at polling stations across the country and borders with Iran and Afghanistan were temporarily closed.
Four policemen were killed in a bomb blast and fire targeting a police patrol in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district in the northwest, local police chief Rauf Qaisrani said.
One person was killed when gunmen opened fire on a security forces vehicle in Tank, about 40 km (25 miles) to the north.
Grenade attacks were also reported in different parts of Balochistan, but polling remained unaffected since there were no casualties, Saeed Ahmed Umrani, commissioner of the Makran division, told Reuters.
Besides militant violence, the election is also being held in the midst of a deep economic crisis and in a highly polarised political environment, and many analysts believe no clear winner may emerge.
The move to suspend mobile networks sparked criticism from leaders of opposition parties, with the Pakistan Peoples Party's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of former premier Benazir Bhutto, calling for its "immediate restoration".
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said the decision on mobile networks was made by "law and order agencies" following Wednesday's violence and the commission would not interfere in the matter.
Messenger/Sumon
