Top 5 Developments In Pakistan Elections 2024: Mobile Services Suspended, Blast Tragedy, And More

The Pakistan elections, scheduled for Thursday, represent a highly anticipated event that will decide the formation of a new government.

While initial election results are anticipated to trickle in on Thursday evening, official outcomes will be declared on Friday, reported Hindustan Times.

With the National Assembly comprising 336 seats, 266 candidates will be elected through direct voting, while 70 seats are reserved. Among these reserved seats, 60 are designated for women and 10 for non-Muslims, allocated based on each party's representation in the Assembly. Voting will continue until 5 pm local time (12:00 GMT), and if the tabulation of results occurs smoothly, the winner could be clear within a few hours, reported Aljazeera.

Top 5 Developments in Pakistan Elections 2024

1. Shehbaz Sharif casts a vote in Lahore's NA-127

The vote was cast by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif at polling station number 82 in Lahore's NA-127 constituency. When speaking to journalists, the people were urged by the PML-N president to cast their votes for the country's progress, reported Geo News.

2. Mobile services suspended

Nationwide mobile phone services have been suspended by Pakistan authorities, as stated by the Interior Ministry, citing the need to "maintain law and order". In a statement, a ministry spokesman announced the decision to temporarily suspend mobile services across the country.

The spokesman noted that "precious lives have been lost" in recent armed attacks in Pakistan and emphasized that "security measures are essential to maintain law and order ... and to deal with potential threats".

3. Pakistan Blast

At least 28 people were killed and dozens wounded in two bomb explosions near candidates' offices in the Pakistani province of Balochistan on the eve of general elections, officials reported. The first blast, which killed 16 people, occurred in Pishin district, north of Quetta city.

The second explosion, which left 12 people dead, occurred in Qila Saifullah to the east. Both attacks were claimed to be responsible by the Islamic State (IS) group. Violence and claims of poll rigging have marred the vote.

4. 'Guerilla jalsa': Election Campaign Strategies of Imran Khan's Party Amidst Crackdown and Symbol Ban

Amid a crackdown against it, Imran Khan's party is employing tech-driven and unconventional campaigning strategies. At a time when the party is barred from even using its party symbol - the cricket bat - in the polls on Thursday, it is digital tools that are assisting the PTI in competing in elections that many critics have described as unfair, even engineered.

5. Pakistan's media ordered to censor Ex-PM Imran Khan

Khan's speeches or rallies on TV were already barred from being reported by Pakistani media. But now, the restrictions on coverage of the PTI appear to have become even more expansive.

Instructions imposing near-blanket censorship on coverage of the PTI ahead of the nation's February 8 elections have been received by multiple journalists working in newsrooms of different TV news channels and web outlets, as reported by Al Jazeera.