Balochistan [Pakistan], February 10 : At a time when general elections in Pakistan remained a burning issue globally, at-home politics portrayed a totally different picture, with protests and boycotts across the nations, especially Balochistan.
Against the backdrop of armed conflict, a sizable segment of Balochistan's population voiced a vehement rejection of the electoral process through demonstrations and boycotts.
Quite recently, a major protest took place in Heronk, a district of Kech in Balochistan, where women gathered in front of a polling booth, vocalising their disagreement with placards linking election participation with terrorism, reflecting a larger mood of hostility towards the political process in Balochistan. The situation worsened when security officers allegedly used force to remove the demonstrators, showing tensions between the local population and government.
Similarly, dramatic scenes unfolded in Goburd, Mand, when Baloch women and children screamed "Yeh Wardi Wale, Deshatgard" (These Uniformed Ones, Terrorists) in front of Pakistani military trucks. Following that, the electoral process was halted in the region.
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This outpouring of discontent was echoed in other districts, including Kech, Gwadar, and Kharan, where local demonstrators disrupted the polling process.
Polling sites in Tehsil Mand in Kech district and Tehsil Hoshab remained vacant, with no polling officials or voters present, echoing strong demands by nationalist organisations to boycott the polls. A relatively low participation was seen in Baloch-majority parts of Balochistan, reported The Balochistan Post.
At least nine people lost their lives, and over a dozen sustained injuries in a series of violent incidents on Thursday, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan district and multiple districts of Balochistan, as per Dawn.
In Dera Ismail Khan, five police personnel were martyred, and two others were injured as an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated within the jurisdiction of Kulachi police station. According to Dawn, the incident occurred while a police vehicle was patrolling the Gara Aslam area of Kulachi for election security. Militants ambushed the vehicle, resulting in casualties.
Furthermore, polling stations in Gwadar, Kech, and Panjgur districts of Balochistan faced grenade and rocket attacks, claiming the lives of five police officers in the D.I. Khan blast. Additionally, the toll rose to 30 in Khanozai and Qila Saifullah due to bomb explosions.
In a statement, Balochistan Minister for Information Jan Achakzai confirmed the death toll and noted that the Islamic State (Wilayah Pakistan) claimed responsibility for targeting the election office of an independent candidate in Khanozai as reported by Dawn.
Meanwhile, amid the violence, polling in central, southern, and northern districts proceeded peacefully with tightened security measures.
The incidents underscore the challenges faced during the election process in certain regions, emphasizing the need for heightened security measures and vigilance to ensure the safety of citizens and electoral processes.
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