Two explosions near the offices of election candidates in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province killed 22 people, local officials said on Wednesday, raising security concerns ahead of Thursday’s vote. There is.
Pakistan heads to the polls amid an escalation in extremist attacks in recent months and the imprisonment of Imran Khan, the winner of the last national election, who has dominated headlines despite an economic crisis and other woes threatening the nuclear-armed nation.
Authorities said they were beefing up security at polling stations.
The first attack, which took place at the office of an independent election candidate in Pishin district, left 12 people dead.
The second explosion occurred in Qila Saifullah, a town near the Afghan border, near the offices of the Jamiat Ulema Islami (JUI), a religious party that has been the target of extremist attacks, the province’s information minister said. exploded.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
Several groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and Balochistan separatist groups, oppose the Pakistani state and have carried out attacks in recent months.
Hanzai Hospital, near the site of the explosion in Pishin, put the death toll at 12 and said more than 20 people were injured.
Juma Dad Khan, deputy commissioner of Pishin district, said many people were injured in the explosion.
The attack occurred as political parties concluded their campaigning the day before the election during a quiet period stipulated by election rules.
Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Khan earlier urged his supporters to wait outside polling stations after voting as rival parties held large rallies to mark the end of the election period.
A large gathering of Mr. Khan’s supporters near his booth could raise tensions in what has been described as a military-backed crackdown on him and his party, which has restricted campaigning.
The military denies political interference.
“We urge the maximum number of people to vote and wait at the polling stations… and wait quietly outside the offices of returning police officers until the final results are announced,” Khan said on social media platforms. He said this through the handle X, along with an undated photo. He wears simple black clothes.
The source of Mr Khan’s first images in months is not clear.
So far, Mr. Khan’s supporters have spread his message through everything from notes he gave through his lawyer during prison visits to AI-generated audio speeches.
Other political parties have also concluded their election campaigns.
The front-runner in the election, Nawaz Sharif, led a large rally in the eastern city of Kasur, along with his brother Shehbaz Sharif, a former prime minister who is also running in the same constituency.
In a wave of tens of thousands of supporters waving Green Party flags, Mr. Sharif appealed to the country’s vast youth to support his party, and Mr. Khan, who has long attracted support from young voters in the region, I set my aim.
“Don’t be fooled by him,” Sharif said.
Supporters of rival Pakistan Peoples Party also gathered in the southern city of Larkana, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and could act as kingmakers if no party wins enough seats to form a full government. There is sex.
The former foreign minister and son of assassinated Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto criticized the opposition, including Sharif, saying they had undermined the country’s security and economy during his time in office.
