Pakistan: Peshawar police refuse to provide security to candidates ahead of general elections

According to the details, the Peshawar police recommended that electoral candidates hire security guards from private security companies. However, the police have agreed to provide security to the election candidates during their campaigns and rallies.

The police cited the lack of security personnel the reason behind refusing to provide security to the security personnel, as most of the police personnel will be placed in the polling booths during the polls, according to ARY News report.

This development comes after Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) released a list of political figures that received threats before the upcoming general elections, the report said.

The list released by CTD includes 15 political leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These threatened political leaders include Member of National Assembly (MNA) Mohsin Dawar, Ex-provincial minister Imtiaz Qureshi, Senator Hidayatullah, former PML-N MNA Amir Maqam, former PTI MNA Pir Mansoor Shah and Shah Muhammad. JUI-F’s Malik Adnan Wazir and Ehsanullah, Senator Bakhti Afsar, and Senator Maulana Abdur Rasheed, the reprot said.

The Peshawar police’s decision comes at a time when several people have been killed and severely injured in a series of violent blasts in various cities of the country. The wave of violence began in Balochistan’s Sibi when four people were killed and five others were wounded injuries in a blast that took place near political rally at Jinnah Road Sibi on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy was killed while three others were injured in a clash between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Karachi, ARY News reported, citing police sources.