ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s human rights commission Monday slammed “blatant,aggressive and unabashed” attempts to manipulate the upcoming election, aspoliticians expressed security fears following one of the country’sdeadliest attacks.
A string of attacks has killed 175 people across the country in the pastweek, and there have been widespread allegations that the powerful militaryis meddling in the run-up to the July 25 vote.
The Election Commission has vowed to go ahead with the vote “at all costs”.
But the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan warned it was”gravely concerned over what it sees as blatant, aggressive and unabashedattempts to manipulate the outcome of the upcoming elections”.
“While it is critical that the polls are held as scheduled, there are nowample grounds to doubt their legitimacy -– with alarming implications forPakistan’s transition to an effective democracy,” it said in a statement.
A suicide blast at a political rally in the southwestern province ofBalochistan last Friday killed 149 people.
It was the second deadliest militant attack in Pakistan’s long battle withviolent extremism, surpassed only by an assault on a school in 2014 whichleft more than 150 people dead.
The attack and others have spurred a surge in criticism of the army. It hasoverseen a dramatic improvement in security but in recent months has beenwidely accused of what one think-tank termed a “silent coup”.
“The attacks are taking place because the security agencies are involved inpolitics and not doing their job,” Mushahidullah Khan, a senior leader withthe Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), told AFP.
“The elections are being contested in an environment of fear,” the chairmanof the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, said during a visitto the Balochistan provincial capital Quetta on Monday.
“Security should be the top priority for the government,” he said, adding:”I hope that the election will be held on July 25″.
Other politicians from parties across the political spectrum have echoedhis concerns.
The accusations against the military were heightened Friday, when formerPML-N premier Nawaz Sharif returned to the country from London and wasimprisoned, heightening political tensions.
Sharif was ousted from power last year following a corruptioninvestigation. He was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison foralleged corruption earlier this month.
He and his party say they are being targeted by the military, which hasalso faced accusations from the media, analysts and other politicians thatit is using threats and intimidation to steer votes towards Imran Khan’sPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
The military denies the allegations and says it is taking “no direct role”in the election.
It has already warned of a security threat in the run-up to the vote andsaid it will deploy more than 370,000 soldiers on polling day. – APP/AFP