Army personnel to guard polling stations across Pakistan: ECP

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Pakistan Army personnel would be deployed both inside and outside polling stations to ensure security during the upcoming general elections 2018. This was decided at a high level meeting to finalize security arrangements for general elections held at the (ECP) in Islamabad. Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan is chairing the meeting. It was also decided that foolproof security would be provided during printing of the ballot papers. For this purpose, army would be deployed at Security Printing Press from 27th of this month to 25th of next month. During the meeting, the CEC said that the (ECP) has constitutional obligation to hold the free, fair and transparent election. He also said that the all institutions of the country are responsible to fulfill the ECP's constitutional duty of facilitating to hold the elections in transparent way. Sardar Raza Khan further said that there is need to finalize the security arrangements on time for conducting the transparent election. Members of the ECP, the director general military operations, the defence secretary, the chief secretaries and IGPs of the four provinces were attended the meeting. The deployment of army personnel at polling station will also come under consideration in the meeting. Later, briefing newsmen Additional Director-General Media of Election Commission told journalist that CCTV cameras would be installed at twenty thousand sensitive polling stations in the country. He said that close coordination would also be maintained with National Counter Terrorism Authority for security issues. He said the meeting decided that foolproof security would also be provided to political leaders. He said it would be responsibility of the provinces to make necessary arrangements in this regard. Similarly, provincial governments would also provide security to the district returning officers, the returning officers and the presiding officers. He said that the commission expressed satisfaction over security arrangements so far devised for the general elections. Earlier, caretaker Prime Minister Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk on Wednesday changed the Inspector General (IGs) and Chief Secretaries of all four provinces.