Summary UN chief has urges strong, peaceful voter turnout for upcoming general elections in Pakistan.
NEW YORK – The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all eligible Pakistanis to peacefully take part in the country’s upcoming elections while also expressing concern about the recent wave of violence and attacks aimed at disrupting preparations for the 11 May polls.
“The Secretary-General wishes every success to the Government and people of Pakistan for the national and provincial elections in Pakistan,” his pokesperson said in a statement today issued from New York.
Mr Ban “hopes that all eligible Pakistanis peacefully take part, regardless of their religious affiliation, ethnic background, or gender and carry out their civic duty on this important day,” he added.
More than 86 million Pakistanis are reportedly registered to vote. They will be selecting from among 5,000 candidates for the National Assembly and nearly 11,700 vying for the Provincial Assembly.
In today’s statement, the spokesperson noted Mr. Ban’s “concern” about the series of attacks in the run-up to the elections targeting politicians, political rallies, and election offices.
