Pakistan Army congratulates nation on ‘peaceful’ conduct of elections

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army on Thursday congratulated the nation on the “generally peaceful and violence-free conduct of general elections 2024”, ARY News reported, quoting the military’s media wing.

In a press release, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “The armed forces and other law enforcement agencies are proud to have played a pivotal role in providing security during the conduct of the sacred electoral process, in aid of civil power, and in accordance with the constitution of Pakistan.”

“With the deployment of 137,000 army personnel and civil armed forces at approximately 6,000 selected most sensitive polling stations and over 7,800 QRFs, a safe and secure environment for the public was ensured,” the ISPR said.

#ISPR
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the nation on the mostly peaceful and violence free conduct of the general elections. #Election2024 #Pakistan

The Armed Forces alongside other Law Enforcement Agencies are proud to have played a pivotal role in providing… pic.twitter.com/OT4Ifh9tvb

— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) February 8, 2024

According to the military’s media wing stated, 51 cowardly terrorist attacks were reported mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in which 12 people, including 10 security personnel were martyred and 39 others were injured.

“Through proactive intelligence manoeuvres and swift action, many potential threats were neutralised, underscoring the unwavering commitment of our security agencies to protect the democratic rights of our citizens,” it said, adding that five terrorists were killed in various operations.

“The armed forces remain dedicated to upholding peace and security in the country and stand ready to provide unwavering support in safeguarding the democratic traditions of our state,” the ISPR added.

A daylong polling process concluded on Thursday for the General Election 2024 overall in a peaceful manner, with active participation from all age group voters who came out in droves to elect candidates of their choice.

The polling started simultaneously across the country at 8 am and continued till 5 pm without any break to provide maximum time to citizens to exercise their right to vote enshrined in the constitution.

The voters present in the premises of the polling stations at the poll-ending time were allowed to cast their votes, said a spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

According to the ECP, over 128 million registered voters were scheduled to exercise their democratic right by casting votes for candidates participating in elections for the national and provincial legislatures.

The polling was held for 265 seats of the National Assembly and 590 seats of provincial assemblies. The voting took place on 51 seats of the Balochistan Assembly, 128 out of 130 seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 296 out of 297 seats of the Punjab Assembly and 130 seats of the Sindh Assembly.

The polling was held in 855 constituencies out of 859 however due to the death of the candidate, voting will not be held in NA 8, PP 266, PK 22 and PK 91.