The Pakistani government has temporarily suspended mobile phone services nationwide to “maintain law and order” during a General Election marked by increased militant violence.
The Ministry of Interior announced the decision in a message on X (formerly Twitter), citing recent terrorist incidents and the need for security measures to address potential threats and ensure public safety.
Reports of service disruptions in major cities and districts, particularly affecting the country’s second-largest operator, Zong, have been widespread since early morning.
Despite the outage, Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja assured reporters that the voting system would not be affected. However, millions of voters rely on the 8300 helpline, which is currently inaccessible.
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Unofficial election results are expected shortly after polling stations close at 5 PM, with official confirmations anticipated the following day. Security measures are heightened, with thousands of army and paramilitary personnel deployed at polling stations.
Additionally, Pakistan has closed border crossings with Afghanistan and Iran, both for cargo and pedestrians, with normal operations set to resume on February 9, 2024.