Pakistan polls 2024: Govt's decision to suspend internet will affect transparency of election, says rights group

Fearing incidents of terrorism amid the ongoing Pakistan elections, the government suspended mobile and internet services across the country on Thursday, 8 February.In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pakistan's interior ministry said the recent surge of terrorist incidents made it necessary to “shut down mobile services nationwide temporarily to maintain the law and order situation and tackle threats."The suspension of mobile and internet services comes less than 24 hours after two bomb blasts, targeting political parties' election offices, killed at least 28 people in Pakistan's northwest Balochistan province.According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, there have been 217 terrorist attacks since the elections were announced for the country in early November.'Internet suspension won't impact'Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the suspension of mobile and internet service in the country wouldn’t have an impact on its systems.'Internet suspension in Pakistan will affect transparency of the election'Jailed former PM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan criticised the move, saying in a post on X that it was a “deliberate suppression of citizens’ rights and a mockery of democracy.”Human Rights Council of Pakistan also slammed the government of Pakistan for shutting down mobile and internet services."This is sad and cause for concern... This decision of the government will affect the transparency of the election. Provision of mobile service on voting day is a basic requirement in Pakistan," it said."We request the Election Commission and the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take immediate notice of this issue. Restore mobile service in Pakistan," the Human Rights Council of Pakistan said.'Suspension of internet will get negative stories for Pakistan'"Add ‘suspension of mobile phone service on election day’ to the long list of ways in which Pakistan’s 2024 Election has not been free, fair, and open. But without a strategy to confront authoritarianism, all we will get is negative media stories & social media posts," said Director (South & Central Asia) Hudson Institute, Husain Haqqani.Pakistan elections 2024Meanwhile, people were seen queuing up in large numbers outside polling stations in Pakistan to exercise the franchise and elect the new government in the crash-strapped country in anticipation that the next administration will help improve the economic condition of the south-Asian nation.Tens of thousands of troops have been deployed at polling stations across Pakistan.Voting for Pakistan polls 2024 closes at 5 pm.With inputs from agencies