PM to chair meeting on polls arrangements today

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk will chair a high-level meeting today (Monday) to review security and other arrangements for the upcoming general elections scheduled to be held on July 25.

The meeting would be attended by all the chief ministers, chief secretaries of all the four provinces, secretaries of Defence and Interior ministries, inspectors general police of the four provinces and senior officials of the concerned federal and provincial governments.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sardar Raza Khan gave proposal to Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk for such meeting during the visit of the PM to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) main office last week. Secretary Election Commission Babar Khawaja will brief the meeting on the preparations for the upcoming general elections. The meeting will take decisions for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections and security arrangements for the politicians and candidates.

The Election Commission has declared 20,000 polling stations as sensitive. The provincial governments will brief the meeting on security arrangements.

The secretary defence will brief the meeting on printing of ballot papers and its supply on election day under the supervision of the Army, and deployment of Army at polling stations.

The Defence Ministry has already conveyed for deployment of 350,000 troops in polling stations on the election day.