Can troops be deployed at every polling station?

ISLAMABAD: Deployment of army-men inside and outside of every polling station in the forthcoming general elections as demanded by most of the political parties, would require 340,000 soldiers, raising the question whether or not the military will be able to spare such a large number of troops for polling day duties.

Although, no decision has been taken as yet about the deployment of military troops for security duties in the upcoming general elections, according to the assessment of Election Commission of Pakistan deployment of four soldiers in each polling station would mean the requirement of 340,000 troops.

There are a total of 85,000 polling stations all over the country. The demand is that in every polling station two soldiers should be deployed outside the polling station and two inside it. After the 2013 polls, almost in all the by-elections four soldiers were deployed at every polling station.

In the 2013 elections, the military was engaged for security related duties but the soldiers’ deployment was not done at each and every polling station. In that situation, the number of troops deployed for the election duties was much lower.

The ECP is presently demanded to deploy army men in each and every polling station. “This may not be possible because of military’s already pressing defence and security related engagements,” a ECP source said, adding that the issue of army’s deployment for election duties will be discussed after the arrival of the caretaker set-up.

The ECP sources though insist that like in the past the law and order situation will remain the main concern during the 2018 elections, there is no information or report available about any internal or international conspiracy to sabotage the polls.

These sources said that the secretary ECP was misquoted as having referred to some international “conspiracy” to sabotage the forthcoming elections. The sources explained that the ECP does not have any report of any conspiracy.

It is said that the secretary ECP was just sharing with the Senate committee his personal experiences and views about what he saw in the 2013 elections and how he viewed about the possible law and order situation in the 2018 elections.

The ECP, it is said, is fully geared up to hold the 2018 elections on time and as per the date announced by the president. The Secretary ECP, Babar Yaqoob, was quoted by the media as having told the Senate committee that anti-Pakistan international forces wanted to sabotage the general elections.

“The secretary ECP told the Senate committee that elections can be sabotaged by anti-Pakistan international forces for which they were taking necessary measures to ensure free and fair elections and he would give in-camera briefing on the dangers,” said a report, which raised serious alarms.

Following these reports, Senator Raza Rabbani of the PPP on Tuesday approached the Upper House and sought clarification regarding the remarks over upcoming general elections by the secretary ECP.

In open letters to Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sherry Rehman, and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Rabbani said that such a statement from the ECP casts doubt on holding elections within sixty days as mandated by Article 224 of the Constitution. “It also has serious and far-reaching consequences and repercussions as the secretary has referred to an international conspiracy,” the letter read.

Rabbani suggested that Yaqoob should be summoned to a Committee of the Whole of the Senate, proceedings of which may be held in-camera so the secretary could enlighten the committee on this international conspiracy.