s the polling date for the general election approached, the frequency of attacks mounted by several militant groups increased. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, saw a surge in the attacks targeting election candidates and public gatherings. Most of these attacks were planned, executed and claimed by Jamaat-ul Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan; the Islamic State of Khorasan; the Islamic State’s Pakistan chapter; and some Baloch militant groups.

Several gatherings organised by or featuring candidates were targeted by suicide bombers in Balochistan. As a result more than 20 people lost their lives and more than 30 were injured.

In Khanozai, Pishin district, a suicide bomber exploded himself at a campaign gathering of Asfandyar Kakar, an independent candidate in PB-47. In another incident in Qila Saifullah, 12 people were killed and 14 were injured when a bomb exploded at a public meeting.

All told, there were 73 such attacks between January 1 and February 7.

Through their official channel, Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar, a conglomerate of several Baloch militant outfits, had made an announcement in December 2023 about a a full-fledged campaign against those participating in the elections. In February 2024 they claimed responsibility for about 15 attacks against security forces and various election campaigns in Balochistan.

The Teheeik-i-Taliban Pakistan central had announced that the group will not be attacking civilians. However, it published several pamphlets and a video against democracy and the process of elections. After Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman visited Kabul, it was believed that he was no longer on the TTP’s list of targets. However, the TTP has continued its attacks on police and law enforcement agencies. The group claimed responsibility for attack on a police station just ahead of the elections in Dera Ismail Khan in which 10 policemen were killed and 6 injured.

The Islamic State, for its part, has unleashed a propaganda campaign followed by lethal attacks. However, it appears to have broadened the scope of its activity and besides its traditional target the JUI-F has now included the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. The group has claimed responsibility for the killing of an independent candidate in Bajaur tribal district due to which election for the constituency has been postponed. Jamaat-ul Ahrar, the breakaway TTP faction, has not claimed any attacks recently but there was speculation that it could do so on the polling day.

Besides the militant attacks, violence between rival political parties was also reported from several parts of the country. In Lahore, supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan were engaged in a brawl after a shoe was hurled at Hamza Shahbaz during a campaign rally. The TLP later accused PMLN supporters of attacking and injuring some of their supporters and firing shots at their office. In Karachi, some PTI workers clashed with the police at Teen Talwar. The station house officer was injured in the incident.

The violence has been mostly concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. A few attacks have been claimed by various outfits with nationalist agendas. There had been speculation that the elections might be delayed on account of the security situation. However, the caretaker government stood its ground and the elections went ahead. More than 600,000 security personnel were deployed across the country for the exercise.

“The situation is not comparable to 2013,” a security official told TNS. He said, “Militants no longer hold territory anywhere. There was no reason for the election to be delayed.” He also said the violence was unlikely to influence the outcome of the elections. However, he said, the security situation might result in low turnout in some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He was confident that the major urban centres of the country would remain calm and mostly impervious to militant violence.

The writer is the editor of The Khorasan Diary. He can be reached on X @iftikharfirdous