Pakistan: General elections July 25

Event

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that general elections will be held on July 25. On Wednesday, June 20, the ECP requested that 350,000 security personnel be deployed to provide security during the vote. According to local reports, over 7000 additional personnel will be stationed in Islamabad to protect polling stations and set up over 100 checkpoints throughout the city. Similar security measures will likely be implemented in other major cities. The ECP also announced that the final candidate lists will be released on June 30. An increase in political rallies is expected in the weeks leading up to the vote. Heightened security measures and traffic disruptions are anticipated around all electoral related events.

Context

Voters in Pakistan will elect members of the national parliament as well as the four provincial assemblies.

Islamist militant groups - including Al-Qai'da and Islamic State (IS) affiliates, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), the Afghan Taliban, and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), among others - continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite ongoing military offensives aimed at pushing the militants from their strongholds, first launched in 2014. Pakistan has suffered several deadly attacks in recent months, notably in Lahore, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Advice

Individuals in Pakistan are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all political gatherings as a precaution, and obey all instructions issued by the local authorities.

As a reminder, due to the high threat of terrorism, kidnapping, and sectarian violence throughout the country, Western governments usually advise their citizens against all nonessential travel to Pakistan. Remain vigilant at all times and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.