08 Aug 2018 | 03:50 PM UTC
Pakistan: Opposition supporters protest in Islamabad August 8 /update 3
Hundreds of political opposition supporters allege electoral fraud, protest in Islamabad August 8 following July 25 election; roadblocks reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Event
Hundreds of political opposition supporters protested in Islamabad on Wednesday, August 8, denouncing alleged electoral fraud in the July 25 election. Members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), and Awami National Party (ANP), among others, staged a demonstration outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) building on Constitution Avenue. Opposition supporters also reportedly obstructed the Peshawar-Islamabad highway and other major thoroughfares in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in related demonstrations; Peshawar was particularly affected by protests on Wednesday.
Additional protests and associated traffic disruptions are possible in Pakistan, particularly in the abovementioned areas, ahead of the planned transfer of power from the interim caretaker government to Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), scheduled Tuesday, August 14 (Independence Day). Related clashes between opposition supporters and security forces cannot be ruled out.
Context
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, garnered the most votes in Pakistan's July 25 general election and is poised to become the country's ruling party - a position recently held by the PML-N. Khan declared victory in a speech on July 26, promising to investigate election fraud and unite Pakistan under his administration.
The election marks the second time in Pakistan's history that a successful transfer of power from one civilian government to another will take place. However, violence was reported during the campaign season, as election-related gatherings were repeatedly targeted by militants, resulting in hundreds of deaths, including at least 31 people killed in a suicide attack on a polling station in Quetta on election day, July 25. Additionally, some candidates have accused the security establishment of threatening party members and choosing sides in the election.
Advice
Individuals in Pakistan are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all demonstrations and protests, remain vigilant for militant activity and signs of civil unrest, and adhere to instructions by local authorities.
