Pakistan Army will be deployed in five constituencies of Lahore and Multan to maintain peace and order during the upcoming by-poll.
Polling in 20 constituencies of Punjab is scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday), and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared 674 polling stations as highly sensitive.
Addressing a press conference, Punjab Election Commissioner Saeed Gul said that of the total 3,141 polling stations, 1,194 and 1,271 are categorized as sensitive and normal, respectively. Pakistan Rangers will be on QRF (quick response force) duty and army personnel will perform the role of static security force on specific polling stations, he said.
“Negotiations have been finalized with Pakistan Army. Forces will be at our disposal on Sunday,” Gul said, adding that CCTV cameras have been installed at highly sensitive polling stations. Media persons and observers holding ECP’s accreditation cards would be able to move freely inside the buildings where voting will be held and will be allowed to make video footage of the process. Responding to the allegations of rigging by the opposition parties, he termed them baseless. “We will ensure free and fair elections in a peaceful manner,” Gul asserted.
He said 50,154 police staff will be on duty on the polling day. The election campaign ended on Friday midnight, and Gul warned strict action against anyone who continued electioneering after the deadline. He said the law would take its course if any parliamentarian or public officer holder was found in the electoral constituency. They can cast their votes and serve as election agents if they were voters of the area, he added.
The Punjab election commissioner said training of the polling staff was completed and duties have been assigned to them. The ECP, he said, has finalized transport and security plans. Ballot papers have been printed and will be handed over to election staff a day before the polling day and returned on compiling of the results under strict security arrangements. He asked the polling agents to get the signature of the presiding officer as per his/her matching with her/his national identity card after compilation of the results.
Every polling station will be provided with a vehicle and the movement of the staff will be monitored properly, he said. Big screens will be displayed at the offices of returning officers for the monitoring of results by media persons and observers, he added. Among the total 4,580,000 voters who will exercise their rights on Sunday, 2,119,000 are women and 2,460,000 men, according to ECP. Gul rejected the opposition allegations about pre-poll rigging and alteration in the voter’s list. He said the elections would be held on the list finalized in October 2020. No changes were made to the list after the announcement of the by-poll on May 25, he claimed. He said the ECP charged a total fine of Rs577,000 on different violations during the campaign.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set up special control rooms to monitor the by-elections. According to ECP, separate special control rooms have been established at central and provincial levels. The control rooms would continue working till the compilation of polling results. Returning officers, relevant deputy commissioners, representatives of police, Rangers and the Pakistan Army would be present in the control rooms to deal with any emergency.
Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan on Friday phoned Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan and discussed the security arrangements for by-elections. Sanaullah convened a review meeting at the Interior Ministry for the security of the by-elections, said a news release.
