On Wednesday, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani voiced concern that the presence of security officers at polling sites might raise questions regarding election fairness and transparency.
While recognizing the imperative of sending security troops to preserve calm on election day, he stated that, “it is equally important that the security forces be beyond the precincts of the polling stations.” Rabbani underlined that security personnel should be supervised by returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs).
Furthermore, he encouraged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to strictly adhere to these principles and the law, noting previous occasions when ignoring such issues resulted in contentious elections.
Notably, Rabbani’s statement came after the caretaker federal cabinet approved the deployment of military and civil armed forces personnel to polling stations and key areas ahead of the February 8 general election.
