An attack on a security forces vehicle in Pakistan’s Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday resulted in the death of one security personnel. The car was attacked by attackers while it was on election duty, according to sources cited by Samaa TV. According to Samaa TV, the incident happened in the Kot Azam neighborhood on the day that state and national assembly elections were being held. According to Dawn, more than 17,000 candidates are running in the polls that will select 266 members of the Pakistan National Assembly, who will then choose the next prime minister by a majority vote.
Simultaneously, voters will also elect representatives to their respective provincial assemblies, who will then elect the provincial chief executives under a similar process, according to Dawn report.
Elections have been postponed in one national and three provincial assembly constituencies due to the deaths of contesting candidates. This includes NA-8 (Bajaur), PK-22 (Bajaur), PK-91 (Kohat) and PP-266 (Rahim Yar Khan). Voters elsewhere will cast two votes each — one for each of the two assemblies.
There have been other attacks reported in Pakistan in the last few days. Two consecutive blasts that rocked Balochistan on Wednesday resulted in at least 26 deaths and numerous injuries, according to Dawn. The first explosion, according to the police, happened in front of Asfandyar Kakar’s Pishin election office, an independent candidate. According to reports, Kakar is running in the February 8 elections from the NA-265 seat and the PB-47 and PB-48 Balochistan Assembly seats. However, not long after the initial attack, there was a second blast reported in Qila Saifullah.
