Pakistan's interior ministry said that it has suspended mobile services temporarily across the region in an attempt to bolster security amid the elections as voting begins.
The decision of the government comes as there has been a rise in militant attacks in the run-up to the national election. It also comes a day after former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his supporters to wait outside of polling booths after voting until results are announced.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the interior ministry said that the decision was a result of the recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan that have taken precious lives. It noted that security measures are crucial to maintaining the law and order situation and dealing with potential threats.
There were two blasts that were reported near election offices on Wednesday that resulted in the deaths of 26 people in the southwestern province of Balochistan. In a message on its Telegram channel, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blasts, as per Reuters.
This comes as several other groups, including the Islamist Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and separatist Baloch militants, oppose the Pakistani state and have also carried out attacks in the past few months.
The country is currently on high alert with tens of thousands of troops and paramilitary soldiers on duty across the region, including at polling stations. Pakistan also said that it would be closing its borders with Iran and Afghanistan for the day for security purposes.
The unofficial first results of the voting in the national election are expected a few hours after polls close at 5:00 p.m. and a clearer picture could be seen early on Friday. The main contests of the election are expected to be between candidates that are backed by Khan.
Struggling Against Various Issues
The national election will include tens of millions of Pakistanis who will head to the polls to elect a new government as the region struggles amid soaring inflation, rising violence, and claims of rigging, according to BBC.
The voting comes nearly two years after the former prime minister was ousted in a no-confidence vote. Among the candidates in the ballot is three-time PM Nawaz Sharif and many analysts argue that this is the country's least credible election yet.
Both calls and data services in Pakistan were suspended a few minutes before voting officially began. There are also strict rules that have been implemented around election coverage, including what can be said about the candidates who are on the ballot, campaigning, and opinion polls.
There are as many as 128 million people who are registered to cast their votes in Pakistan's national election, nearly half of whom are under the age of 35 years. They will have to choose among more than 5,000 candidates, where only 313 of whom are women.
The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Liz Throssell said that elections are crucial to reaffirm the country's commitment to human rights and democracy. She added that it is important to ensure the right to participation of all of its people, said CNN.