On Friday, while addressing the security issues encountered by the interim administration before the general elections, Interior Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz said that 56 incidents were reported on election day, even though cell connections were suspended.
Ejaz declared, “The decision to shutdown mobile services was made at a high-level security meeting” while speaking at a press conference alongside caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi.
His revelation the day before the elections regarding the “emergency decisions” in response to the “martyrdom of 28 individuals” was made public. “Not a suicide attack, but a device bomb attached to a motorbike” was the rationale for the suspension of mobile services following the terrorist incident.
According to the minister, “These actions were crucial for ensuring the safety of individuals.” This underscores the importance of these measures in protecting human lives. In addition, he said “there were 56 incidents on the day of the election, and there were intelligence reports of terrorist incidents taking place.”
“February 8 was a challenging day,” Eijaz remarked, alluding to the 26 martyrs killed in an attack on February 7. At a high-level meeting, he stated, “We decided to close mobile signals” in response to the Qilla Saifullah incident.
Saying, “It was not an easy decision to close mobile signals,” he justified the decision as one done to “secure lives” before admitting that it was difficult.
The inquiry “Shouldn’t we be proud of our security forces?” was his way of expressing his admiration for the security forces.
According to the minister, “56 incidents occurred despite mobile signals being off, in which the Pakistan Army and police personnel were martyred.” To add, “As the sitting government we have to protect lives.”
He said, “We salute the Pakistani forces’ personnel who gave their lives yesterday.” The caretaker minister then paid respect to the slain security officers. “All institutions collaborated to conduct a peaceful election,” he said, drawing a conclusion. There are a lot of people that want to harm us. Here is the outcome of the election. Everyone may hear the nation’s voice in it.
“The caretaker government conducted elections, and the process of receiving results is ongoing,” said Murtaza Solangi, the minister of information.
According to Solangi, “We the voters of Pakistan should choose the future ruler.” Additionally, he emphasised that the election was generally “peaceful” and that the caretaker government was dedicated to maintaining a peaceful election process.
A pause in cellular service
Earlier in the day, while Pakistanis were casting their ballots, the country’s internet and mobile phone services were temporarily disabled. The government justified the shutdown by saying it was necessary “to maintain law and order” following the overnight unrest.
Amnesty International characterised the suspension as a “reckless attack on people’s rights,” while experts and political stakeholders, including the PTI—a party that used social media extensively in its election campaign—denounced the suspension.
As a result, “it has been decided to temporarily suspend mobile services across the country,” reported a spokesperson for the interior ministry.
A spokesman also stated that “security measures are essential to maintain law and order situation and to deal with potential threats” and that “precious lives have been lost” in the country’s recent militant attacks.
