Pakistan: ECP convenes high-level meeting over deteriorating law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 1 : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has convened a high-level meeting today to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan ahead of the February 8 general elections in the country, Dawn newspaper reported.
This has led to fears that polls in the two provinces might be put off.
The country's military leadership has meanwhile declared a zero-tolerance policy against political violence and vowed that no one would be allowed to sabotage elections.
The developments came after days of rising tensions and escalating violence, including the killing of an election candidate in Bajaur -- leading to the postponement of elections in two constituencies of the district -- and the death of another political worker in Chaman on Wednesday, as per Dawn.
Several armed and grenade attacks were also reported in Balochistan, including one targeting the home of Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, a former provincial minister and PPP candidate for provincial assembly from Kech district.
The ECP in a statement issued on Wednesday, said: "Keeping in view the deteriorating law and order situation, the ECP has convened a meeting on Thursday where Interior Minister, Secretary Interior, Chief Secretaries and Inspectors General of KP and Balochistan and representatives of intelligence agencies have been invited."
In a separate statement, an ECP spokesman said the commission has also taken notice of a firing incident on a political party's caravan, resulting in the killing of one person, and a grenade attack outside the house of Buledi, a candidate from PB-25 in Kech district.
Though the ECP earlier dismissed the calls for putting off general elections over security concerns, many believe that the watchdog was setting the scene to postpone polls in KP and Balochistan, as per Dawn.
A senior ECP official told Dawn that the commission was disturbed over a surge in terrorist incidents. However, he said the provincial governments were responsible for the law and order situation, and the purpose of convening the meeting was to ask them to tighten security.
"As for now, no provincial government has sought to delay elections," he said but insisted that polls could be put off in some constituencies with high disturbance levels if the situation warranted.
Another official, however, said that anything was possible. "It all depends on the nature and magnitude of the threat," he told Dawn on the condition of anonymity, adding that the situation would be clear after briefings by the top officials.