ISLAMABAD: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Raja Sultan has directed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to ensure the security of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) election rallies due to reported threats.
This directive follows a warning from the interior ministry regarding serious threats to the lives of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Awami National Party (ANP) provincial president Aimal Wali Khan.
The interior ministry, in a letter circulated by the ANP to chief secretaries and inspector generals of police in all provinces, disclosed credible information about potential dangers to Maulana Fazl and Aimal. The letter urged the authorities to exercise caution, maintain vigilance, and implement necessary security measures at their residences, during movement, and at public gatherings to prevent any untoward incidents.
In response to concerns raised by JUI-F leader Maulana Hafiz Waqas, who sought security for party workers and rallies ahead of general elections, CEC Sikandar Raja Sultan instructed the KP IG to make essential security arrangements for JUI-F election rallies, emphasizing the importance of maintaining law and order during the election campaign.
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It is noteworthy that a previous attack targeted the JUI-F chief's convoy at the Yarik Interchange in Dera Ismail Khan. The KP police reported that vehicles from Maulana Fazlur Rehman's convoy were refueling in the Yarak area during the incident, but the politician himself was not present at the spot.
With an increase in terrorist activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, following the end of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) ceasefire with the government in November, Maulana Fazl has urged the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure law and order, emphasizing that the current circumstances are not suitable for holding general elections.
