KP governor laments security issues for political activities ahead of polls

• KP governor say situation in Tank, DIK, other areas not conducive.
• Govt will make efforts towards peaceful elections, he says.
• Governor says it is govt's duty to ensure voters' safety.

ISLAMABAD: As political parties kick-start election campaigns ahead of the general polls, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali revealed that carrying out political activities in parts of KP and Balochistan is challenging due to the security concerns in the provinces.

The KP governor's comments came during an interview with a private news channel in which he acknowledged that the situation in the areas of the province including Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu was not good, while Balochistan, too, was in a similar situation.

While he spoke about the conduct of general elections being held in the areas, he was not too optimistic about political parties smoothly carrying out their election activities.

"The government and state institutions will make efforts because elections should be peaceful. It was the government’s duty to take voters to the ballot box safely," he added.

When asked if he had put the situation in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the governor replied the provincial government was responsible for it.

"Some incidents have taken place recently. Every day our jawans are being martyred, but thankfully a big incident has not taken place yet. The provincial government and institutions are responsible for preparing a strategy for the way forward. Pakistan should swiftly move towards polls while keeping the political and economic situation in view," he maintained.

Talking about the PTI’s claims of lack of level-playing field, he said the party’s objections were not valid and pointed out that it had recently held a number of rallies in KP.

"It is not good for anyone to make the election process suspicious," he added.

Political parties in Pakistan have begun their campaign to win the country's general polls which are slated to take place on February 8, 2024.

The country's major political parties such as the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have accelerated their political activities with PPP organising regular gatherings of workers and supporters in their bid to claim victory in polls. The PML-N, too, has begun its efforts to reach out to voters.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), last week, notified the final list of delimitation of constituencies of the national and four provincial assemblies, despite rumours regarding the polls facing delays.