QUETTA: Balochistan’s caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai announced on Sunday that internet services would be temporarily suspended in areas with polling stations marked as “sensitive” on the day of the general elections in the province.
In a statement, the minister said that these steps were meant to ensure peaceful polls, a crucial responsibility of the caretaker government of Pakistan.
Achakzai feared that social media platforms could be utilized by terrorists for communication purposes on election day.
Areas of restricted internet
To mitigate this risk, he added, access to the internet would be restricted in various areas, including Macch, Turbat, and Chaman.
General elections are scheduled to be held on 8 February across the country. Political parties and a good number of independent candidates are in the race for the seats of the national and provincial assemblies.
