Security concerns ahead of Pakistan election

Pakistani Taliban says it will target main parties, forcing candidates in election to change campaigns.

For a Pakistani election, the streets are surprisingly free of campaigning, but what is highly visible is security.

The Pakistani Taliban has issued a threat: They say they’ll attack big rallies of certain political parties. At the top of the Taliban hit list is the Awami National Party, commonly known as the ANP.

They have been vocal in their condemnation of terrorist attacks, and the party chairman narrowly escaped a suicide bomb attack in 2008 during the last election campaign.

To get around the threat, political parties are developing different strategies; they will go door to door to canvass for votes, increase their media presence, and most crucially, flood the street with posters.

In a largely illiterate society being visible is key, and these posters provide that. They have always been an important part of the election, but due to the Taliban threat, posters will be crucial in these elections.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reports from Peshawar, Pakistan.

Source: Al Jazeera