Local residents and volunteers gather around a destroyed vehicle at the site of a suicide bomb attack at an election campaign rally in Peshawar on April 16, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
At least 26 people have been killed by bombers and gunmen since April 11, including 16 killed by a suicide bomber at an Awami National Party (ANP) rally in Peshawar, according to an AFP tally.
The Taliban have directly threatened the three main parties in the outgoing government, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the ANP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which are often described as secular.
The May 11 polls are due to mark the first democratic transition of power after a civilian government has served a full, five-year term in a country that has been ruled by generals for half its life.
"This has been a particularly deadly election period marked by an alarming surge in attacks and intimidation of political activists and election officials," said Mustafa Qadri, Amnesty's Pakistan researcher, in an open letter.
Amnesty said at least 37 people had been killed and 183 injured in attacks on election officials and party representatives and supporters countrywide.
As a result of the threats, there have been few large-scale political rallies leading to a lacklustre campaign for the May 11 polls.
"With these deliberate attacks, the Taliban and other armed groups have shown flagrant disregard for human rights, including the rights to life, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly," Qadri said.
Amnesty said the authorities must ensure adequate protection and protect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and the right to life.
"Candidates themselves also have a responsibility not to incite violence against rivals or segments of society such as religious minorities," Qadri said.
Amnesty also urged parties and candidates to make human rights a priority in their election pledges and policies.
It said some advances had been made in passing legislation by the outgoing parliament, but said rights abuses by state and non-state actors have in some respects worsened over the last five years.
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The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) distributed pamphlets in Buner, Peshawar and different areas of Karachi warning citizens not to participate in the upcoming elections.
Leaflets were distributed in various areas of Karachi warning people against attending political rallies and casting their votes at polling stations. Local administration and security officials were reportedly unaware of any such incident.
The pamphlets warned voters that they would be responsible for their own lives.
TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan told a media outlet that democracy was un-Islamic and was the agenda of secular forces in Pakistan due to which they were opposed to it. He added that the militant organisation would continue its fight against secular forces and governments which were backed by external secular countries.
Pamphlets were received near a mosque in Shingrai in Shalbandi area of Buner warning residents against taking part in upcoming elections.
Local residents and security personnel confirmed that the threatening leaflets were distributed in the area which had warned of similar consequences to those of the 2008 by-elections in the area.
The pamphlets were issued by Taliban militants based in Malakand division’s Swat area. Similar pamphlets were distributed in Peshawar’s Badaber, Mattni and Adizai areas.