ISLAMABAD
\nThe caretaker interior minister Dr Gohar Ejaz has said we can say with satisfaction that election has been held peacefully in extraordinary security situation.
\nIn a statement Friday he said terrorist incidents just a day before elections had compelled taking difficult measures like suspension of service to disallow terrorists the means to communicate, coordinate and conduct terrorist operations.
\nHe expressed satisfaction over the peaceful conduct of elections under exceptional security circumstances as hundreds of thousands security personnel had to be deployed in harsh weather within a limited time.
\nDr Gohar Ejaz Khan said the country is facing a spike in terrorism and there were credible reports of attacks on law enforcement agencies and civilians by terrorist entities like TTP, Daesh and foreign sponsored militant organizations in Balochistan to shake the confidence of the people and dissuade them from exercising their democratic right.
\nThe Minister said to preclude the possibility of IEDs en route to and from the polling stations in sensitive areas especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, proper Bomb Disposal clearances had to be done which also consumed substantial time and delayed results.
\nThe Minister requested the citizens and political leaders to allow election staff to carry out their duties unhindered and do not cause further delay by blocking roads leading from polling stations to Returning Officers\u2019 offices. Dr Gohar Ejaz Khan noted with satisfaction that all major political entities are generally satisfied with the results indicating that elections were free and fair.
\nThe Minister said all institutions involved in this historic exercise, especially the Election Commission of Pakistan which had little control of the security situation, deserve acknowledgement and gratitude rather than criticism and denigration.
\nHe said we appeal to citizens and political leaders to let the election staff to discharge their duty unhindered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The caretaker interior minister Dr Gohar Ejaz has said we can say with satisfaction that election has been held peacefully in extraordinary security situation. In a statement Friday he said terrorist incidents just a day before elections had compelled taking difficult measures like suspension of service to disallow terrorists the means to communicate, coordinate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-386138","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n