CM orders establishment of complaint, response centre for election

PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Dost Muhammad Khan has ordered the establishment of a complaint and response centre for the upcoming general election in the province.

He ordered to make up the missing facilities, ensure strict surveillance, deployment of policemen on sensitive points supported by CCTV cameras and use of all available resources for the peaceful, transparent and fair elections.

He was addressing a meeting to review the level of preparedness and security arrangements for the general elections 2018 at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, said an official handout.

Chief Secretary Kamran Naveed, Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir, IG Frontier Constabulary Liaqat Ali, Secretary Local Government Jamaluddin Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah and Deputy Inspector General Police Muhammad Ali Babakhel attended the meeting.

The meeting was briefed by the IGP, secretary Local Government, Home Department and other relevant quarters about the preparation for the general elections and the steps taken for the proposed deployment of police personnel, the sensitisation of election conducting staff, coordination with other departments, and the code of conduct for the public gatherings.

The caretaker chief minister directed the officials to take care of the all sensitive areas and weaknesses in the overall security and preparation plan for the upcoming elections. He ordered hiring drone cameras to properly monitor the elections with particular reference to the polling day, the counting and recounting exercises.

Dost Muhammad Khan was very much particular about the steps to avert any subversion, adding that meetings should be conducted with the political parties to sensitise them about the security related issues and the government steps to deal them with their cooperation. He said he had already sought the relocation of Frontier Constabulary to support the police in the security related duties in the province.

Regarding the establishment of complaint and response cell for the elections, he asked the participants to hire drone cameras from the private companies within a manageable expenditure that, he said, would be a precautionary measure.