Another election candidate was killed in an attack by militants in Pakistan while international Human Rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked Pakistan government to ensure protection of candidates contesting elections.
Islamabad, April 30/Nationalturk- Yet another election candidate was killed in an attack by militants in Pakistan, which is going to polls on May 11. The continued attacks on politicians has prompted international Human Rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) to ask Pakistan’s caretaker government to ensure protection of candidates contesting elections.
The suspected militants killed an independent candidate Abdul Fatah Magsi and his colleagues in Jhal Magsi in restive Balochistan province.
Police officials said the independent candidate was attacked while he was campaigning door-to-door to garner votes. “Three others were also injured in the attack and have been hospitalized”.
After the killing of independent candidate, Pakistan’s Election Commission deferred polls in the Jhal Magsi constituency. “The new schedule for election in the constituency would be announced later,” an official of Election Commission said.
No militant outfit has claimed responsibility of the attack but security agencies apprehend that the attack would have been carried out by notorious militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has threatened to target candidates and politicians.
Over 45 people have been killed and near 200 injured in at least 26 bomb blasts in Pakistan’s Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces since campaigning for May 11 general election began.
The TTP has warned that it will target politicians of political parties – – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for their secular ideologies.
Ensure security of candidates from Taliban attacks: HRW
Concerned over continued assaults and assassination of candidates and political workers in Pakistan, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked Pakistan’s interim government to use law enforcement agencies and, if necessary, army to provide protection to candidates and political parties from Taliban attacks.
“Unless the government, the country’s independent election commission, and security forces ensure that all parties can campaign freely without fear, the election may be severely compromised,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan director at Human Rights Watch.
He said Pakistan’s interim government, which took over on March 17, after the end of the government’s five-year term, should provide protection to individual candidates at high risk, Human Rights Watch said. “It should also facilitate election campaigning by political parties targeted by the Taliban by providing adequate security for rallies and campaign meetings. The interim government should redeploy civilian law enforcement to sensitive areas, particularly in Quetta, in insurgency-wracked Balochistan province, Karachi, Sindh province, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the Afghan border.”
“The Pakistan military, which is officially under civilian rule but has long operated beyond its control, should follow the directives of the interim government to provide security in a nonpartisan manner wherever necessary,” HRW said.
Hasan said it would be a tragedy if a combination of militancy and the government’s failure to ensure security compromises the election and sets back Pakistan’s progress towards regular, free, and fair elections in which all Pakistanis can participate.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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