ECP decides to hold elections on February 8 at 'any cost'

Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz Thursday cleared the air regarding upcoming general elections, saying polls will take place in the country on Feb 8 “no matter what happens”.

He made the announcement after a high-level meeting called by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to overview the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The ECP and the caretaker government would ensure that the elections take place on Feb 8, no one should have any doubt regarding the elections," he said while speaking to the media outside ECP office.

Attacks on political rallies, offices, and candidates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan prompted the electoral body to overview the law and order situation in the two provinces.

However, the elections are set to take place across the country on the designated date.

KP and Balochistan have seen surge in terror attackes for the last few weeks.

A day earlier, an Independent candidate from NA-8 Bajaur, Rehan Zeb Khan, who was also a youth activist of PTI, was killed by unknown assailants in the Siddiqabad Phatak Bazar area of the tribal district.

In a separate incident in Killa Abdullah district, unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle sprayed bullets on supporters of the Awami National Party (ANP), killing one person.

House of Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, a former provincial minister and PPP candidate for the provincial assembly, was also attacked by a grenade in Kech district.

On January 30, the PTI rally was attacked by a planted bomb, in which four people were killed while six were wounded.