ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban on Thursday, vowed to refrain from any attack on the election rallies ahead of the General election to be held on February 8, Associated Press reported. As per the report the group stating they only target the military and security forces.
“We have nothing to do with these elections and the parties taking part,” the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said in a statement.
However, other militant groups didn’t convey any such pledge or message as in past elections in Pakistan were spoiled by violence from different elements particularly the major incident of targeting the two-time former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto who was killed in a bomb attack on December, 27, 2007 minutes after she completed her speech and was her way back from the election rally in Rawalpindi.
Incidents of Violence Before Election
The statement from the TTP came after the government granted approval to the deployment of troops in sensitive constituencies in context of reports from the intelligence agencies regarding militants’ threats to target rallies in public places.
Being a separate group, TTP is also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who recaptured power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021. In recent years, Pakistan witnessed several militant attacks, with a slight increase since November 2022, after the group ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government.
As per the report, about 500 civilians and almost the same number of security men lost their lives in the militant attack in year 2023. In these attacks, the northwest and southwest adjacent to Afghanistan, were the areas being mostly targeted. The recent increase in the violence related incidents remained a matter of concern for the political workers and candidates.
Meanwhile, some of the lawmakers in the upper house (Senate) demanded delay in the elections due to security concerns and winter and security reasons, however, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the request and vowed to hold election on due time.
