"Public gatherings have potential...": US cautions citizens against visiting Pak during polls

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 4 (ANI): The US on Saturday cautioned the American citizens intending to visit Pakistan, asking them to exercise vigilance during the upcoming general elections scheduled on February 8, the State Department said in an official statement.
The travel advisory highlighted potential disruptions and safety concerns linked to political activities, such as marches, rallies, and speeches leading up to election day.
"Pakistan's general elections are scheduled for February 8. Political parties are, and will be, actively campaigning in advance of election day, to include marches, rallies, and speeches, which are normal activities in any democratic process. Public gatherings have the potential to block traffic, disrupt transportation, and otherwise create obstacles to free movement and safety. In some instances, political activities in Pakistan have been targeted for violence," the statement read.
"U.S. citizens should remain vigilant and aware of the locations of political rallies occurring in areas they intend to visit. On February 8, election day, areas around polling stations may be crowded, and U.S. citizens not eligible to participate in Pakistan's elections should avoid them," it added
Acknowledging that public gatherings are intrinsic to the democratic process, the advisory underscored their capacity to impede traffic, disrupt transportation, and pose safety risks, as political events in Pakistan had previously become targets for violence.
US citizens planning to visit Pakistan were urged to stay vigilant and informed about the locations of political rallies in their planned areas.
On election day, specific areas around the polling stations were expected to be crowded, prompting non-participating US citizens to avoid these locations, The Express Tribune reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's opposition party leader, Tehreek-e-Insaf founder, Imran Khan has been sentenced to three terms in jail in three separate cases and his top aid Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been disqualified for five years to fight elections.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was disqualified for five years by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday, as reported by ARY News.
The disqualification comes five days before the February 8 general elections, which the PTI is contesting despite a state crackdown and without its famous electoral symbol, the bat.
The order stated that Qureshi has been disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Pakistan Constitution, as read with Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017. As a result, the PTI vice chairman is barred from contesting the General Elections of 2024 and any later elections for a term of five years, as reported by ARY News.
On January 30, a special court constituted under the Official Secrets Act sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to ten years in prison in the cypher case.
The cypher issue involves a diplomatic document that Imran is accused of failing to return, according to the Federal Investigation Agency's charge sheet. The PTI said the paper included a threat from the United States to depose Imran as prime minister.
Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi have been on trial at Adiala Jail since last year for 'distorting' the facts of the diplomatic cypher case. Both PTI leaders were accused of conspiring to misuse the cypher's contents for illicit purposes." (ANI)