The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is keeping mum on how the voters will file their complaints after suspension of internet and mobile phone services in the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The Interior Minister shut down the internet and mobile phone services in a number of cities before the polling started on Thursday over security fears.
The citizens, however, are facing immense difficulties in lodging their complaints regarding the polling.
The ECP is quiet on the subject and it appears in has no back-up plan to redress the voters’ complaints.
The ECP, however, said that its Election Management System (EMS) will keep on working whether internet is restored or not.
“There could be a delay in result due to security or other reasons but it cannot be altered,” the ECP declared.
Earlier, the ECP has established a helpline for lodging complaints. According to the Commission, complaints can be registered round the clock by calling the helpline 051-111327000.
ECP complaint cell inaccessible, voters deprived of voting information
Amid disruptions in mobile and internet services, the complaint cell of Election Commission of Pakistan stopped receiving complaints.
According to the details, citizens across the country are facing difficulties in lodging complaints with ECP complain cell regarding voting information due to the suspension of internet and mobile service.
Election Commission of Pakistan’s spokesman Haroon Shinwari admitted that due to mobile and internet suspension, complaint cell did not received a single complaint about voting issue.
On the other hand, hundreds of voters across the country were deprived of information about their votes due to the disruption in Election Commission's 8300 SMS service.
As the polling process for the general elections 2024 was underway, the federal government, keeping in view of security concerns, decided to temporarily suspend mobile and internet services nationwide.
Talking to the newsmen in Islamabad, Chief Election Commission expressed that the election process will pass off peacefully.
He said it was interior ministry and agencies’ duty to monitor the security situation. “The ECP would issue no directive to the ministry regarding internet and mobile phone services,” he added.
The CEC maintained if the ECP asks them to restore internet services, then who will be responsible if a terrorist incident takes place.
Reporter Usman Khan