Representative image
Meanwhile, voting in seven of the 11 constituencies scheduled for the third phase of polls in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on August 10 has been postponed indefinitely due to “concerns over the law-and-order situation”, authorities announced on Friday.
The banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has been staging protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) since June over the contentious 12 refugee seats. More than 40 people were killed during the first phase of polling on July 27, according to JAAC. It also claims that around 400 protesters have been killed since the first week of June.
Moreover, security personnel have also lost their lives,” Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah said in a recent television interview.
“As with electoral proceedings around the world, we urge officials to create the conditions for free and fair elections that can be conducted in a peaceful manner, including ensuring access to information,” the spokesperson said. The Shehbaz Sharif government has rejected the claims, calling the figures “overly exaggerated”. It has alleged that Pakistan’s establishment manipulates these seats to install a prime minister of its choice to lead the so-called PoK government. “The number of people killed in the protests is in two digits.
United States on Friday urged the Pakistan government to exercise restraint amid its ongoing crackdown on citizens following violent protests.