4,154 highly sensitive polling stations to get CCTV cameras

The Sindh cabinet on Friday decided to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at 4,154 highly sensitive polling stations across the province to record the proceedings of the July 25 general elections.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of caretaker chief minister Fazal-ur-Rehman at the seventh floor of the new Sindh Secretariat, and attended by all the interim provincial ministers, chief secretary Major (retd) Azam Sulaiman, Sindh police chief IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi and the relevant provincial secretaries.

The CM said the main task of the caretaker government is to pave the way for free, fair and transparent elections by providing all the required basic facilities and maintaining law and order. “We have to maintain public order, pre-empt terrorist threats and implement the code of conduct.”

The CS told the meeting that the election commission has identified 4,154 highly sensitive polling stations across Sindh: 1,977 in Karachi, 1,206 in Hyderabad, 382 in Larkana, 289 in Sukkur, 176 in Mirpurkhas and 124 in Shaheed Benazirabad. He said that of the 17,606 polling stations, 4,350 are most sensitive and 7,999 sensitive.

Discussing security arrangements of all the polling stations, the cabinet decided to install CCTV cameras as well as electricity generators. They directed the finance department to release Rs600 million for the cameras and power generators.

The IGP’s presentation to the cabinet stated that the general law and order situation in the province is satisfactory; however, law enforcement and intelligence agencies are constantly informing of threats.

He said the polarised and volatile environment due to the elections may also disrupt law and order, including clashes between political groups. On this the CM said nobody will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.

The IGP said there is a potential threat of terrorism during the elections, but all the law enforcement and intelligence agencies are working in close coordination to thwart all kinds of threats.

He said a contingent of eight policemen will be deployed at each of the most sensitive polling stations, four policemen each at sensitive polling stations and two policemen at every normal polling station.

He added that under the security plan 106,982 policemen, including 16,000 reserve police personnel, will be deployed at all the polling stations, and a force of 76,310 policemen will be present at the polling stations while 14,672 will be on patrol.

Briefing the cabinet on the salient features of security protocol for political leaders, home secretary Mohammad Haroon said it includes bans on hate speech, hoisting of flags and banners on public properties and wall-chalking on public properties.

He said political parties will have to obtain an NOC for all kinds of public gatherings, rallies and corner meetings from the relevant deputy commissioners and SSPs. He added that the routes of the public rallies of the political parties will be determined in consultation with the relevant DCs and SSPs at least three days before the scheduled events.

It was pointed out that the security of the political parties and their candidates will be their own responsibility, but the Sindh police will be responsible for the overall security of the localities, the venues and the public gatherings.

The home secretary said an Election Law & Order Cell is being established at the home department for close coordination between law enforcement agencies, the IGP Office and the field police officers to monitor the polling process.

He also said control rooms at provincial, divisional and district levels will be established three days ahead of the general elections to monitor the law and order situation. On the recommendation of the chief justice of the Sindh High Court, the cabinet approved the appointment of Advocate Mohammad Hanif as judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) No IV Karachi, Muzaffar Hussain as judge of the ATC No XI Karachi and Mohammad Khan Buriro as judge of the ATC No X Karachi.

The cabinet, on the recommendation of the CJ of the high court, also appointed Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto as in-charge administrative judge of ATCs Karachi Division for a portion of the summer vacation: from July 2 to August 4.

Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) Managing Director Khalid Shaikh briefed the cabinet on the regularisation of sub-soil water supply to the industries in the metropolis. He said the regulations will be in force for a period of three years and extendable for a further term subject to availability of sub-soil water.

He added that a licence will be granted by him on the prescribed form upon the written request of the president or chairman of the relevant industrial area association along with an NOC. The meeting approved the regularisation policy of sub-soil water supply to industries.

Shaikh said the tube well must be situated at the maximum distance from the KWSB’s lines, adding that the licensee will pay an advance of Rs90,000 per bore hole as a one-time security deposit that will be forfeited in case of non-payment of water charges.

He said a non-refundable licence fee will be charged from the permit holder at the rate Rs100,000 per bore hole before the commencement of supply. The cabinet also approved the collection of royalty under the Sindh Mining Concession Rules 2002.