Pakistan prepares for a violent day of voting

Thousands of troops were deployed across Pakistan today to boost security ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections with officials denying they would be used to influence voting.

The reinforcements were put into place as at least nine people were wounded in a bomb blast near the office of a candidate in the south-western province of Baluchistan, the latest in a string of attacks that have marred the campaign.

There are concerns that militants could launch attacks during the vote next Monday, seen as key to Pakistan’s transition to democracy after eight years of military rule under President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally in its war against terrorism.

But the main fear is a major outbreak of political violence if there are allegations of vote rigging.

The army earlier said it would only deploy forces if it was asked to do so by civilian authorities.

Interior Ministry spokesman Jawed Iqbal Cheema said provincial officials had asked for the troops to help maintain peace and order during the elections, and promised that none would be stationed at voting stations.

Arif Ahmad Khan, home secretary in the southern province of Sindh, said about 24,000 troops would be deployed there alone.

Furqan Bahadur, home secretary in Baluchistan, said security forces there would be placed on standby, responding only if violence flared.

Underscoring the security threat, dozens of people were killed in a suicide bombing over the weekend and an attack yesterday wounded a candidate while he was campaigning.

Security forces also were searching for Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, who was missing and feared kidnapped as he travelled in a volatile Pakistani tribal region.

The security threat has heightened at a time when public support for Mr Musharraf has plunged to an all-time low. Opposition parties loyal to the late Benazir Bhutto and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appear poised for a landslide victory, recent polls showed.

Mr Musharraf is not a candidate but needs a commanding majority in the new parliament to block any moves to impeach him.

He is grappling with rising Islamic extremism, especially in the north-western regions bordering Afghanistan.

He also faces political dissent following his move last year to oust Supreme Court judges seen as a challenge to his rule.

The deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, and his family remain under house arrest in the capital, Islamabad. Several other senior independent-minded judges are also restricted to their homes.