Armed forces to provide safe and secure environment to voters: DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor Saturday said the armed forces of Pakistan would perform their duties mandated under Articles 220 and 245 of the Constitution to provide safe and secure environment to voters.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has requisitioned Pak Armed Forces under Article 220 and 245 of the Constitution to assist them in free, fair and transparent conduct of Elections 2018," the DG ISPR said in a tweet.

Major General Asif Ghafoor said armed forces will undertake this mandated duty enabling the people of Pakistan to freely exercise their democratic right in safe and secure environment.

Article 220 of the Constitution says it shall be the duty of all executive authorities in the Federation and in the provinces to assist the commissioner and the Election Commission in the discharge of his or their functions. Article 24 (1)5 says the armed forces shall, under the directions of the federal government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so. It says the validity of any direction issued by the federal government under clause (1) shall not be called in question in any court.

It may be pointed out here that members of the Senate from the PPP and PML-N on floor of the House had called into question giving magisterial powers to officers of the armed forces and deputing personnel inside polling stations. Some parliamentarians also objected to deputing Army personnel for transportation of balloting material.

However, the DG ISPR through the tweet made it clear that the armed forces would perform duties to ensure fair and free election as per given mandate.