In Pakistan, ACLED records an escalation in militant attacks against political parties and polling infrastructure in the weeks leading up to the 8 February elections — particularly in Balochistan. The province saw five times more attacks in the last two weeks alone than the entire previous month.
On the eve of the elections, Islamic State carried out two deadly suicide bombings outside political party offices in Balochistan, leading to dozens of fatalities. On election day, armed Baloch separatist groups, who had called for a boycott of the elections, targeted multiple polling stations with grenades and explosives, disrupting the polling process.
Mobile internet services were suspended across the country on election day. While the government justified the decision on grounds of the deteriorating security situation, opposition parties and human rights groups saw it as a pretext to further manipulate the vote, during an election that has been beset with allegations of military interference.
For more on militant violence and suppression of opposition parties in Pakistan, see ACLED’s analysis report published ahead of last week’s elections.
Visual produced by Ana Marco.
