Unprecedented security arrangements for polls in KP

PESHAWAR: Security has been put on high alert all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the peaceful conduct of the general elections in the country being held today.

As many as 3,174 polling stations all over the province have been declared most sensitive. Another 5,394 have been declared sensitive from security point of view.

Apart from the police, army and Frontier Constabulary (FC), the cops from Azad Jammu and Kashmir will perform security duty at polling stations and other places during the process.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Mohammad Tahir told The News that 66 platoons of the FC and around 500 cops from the AJK Police were assisting the KP Police in ensuring peaceful holding of the polls.

The police chief said over 60,000 policemen would secure the polling stations while another 28,000 would perform other security functions.

Unprecedented arrangements have been made for security during the polls in the wake of the recent terror attacks on election rallies and candidates.

The Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Harøon Bilour and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) contender Ikramullah Khan Gandapur were among who lost lives in attacks during the last two weeks.

Another important contender from Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Akram Khan Durrani survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Bannu. He escaped unhurt in another attack as well.

It was learnt that 99 monitoring units have been set up in KP for security during the polling process. Apart from policemen, 56 armoured personnel carriers, teams of the bomb disposal units and Canine Units have been deployed for security.

Extraordinary arrangements have been made for security during the elections in Peshawar. The Capital City Police Officer Peshawar Qazi Jamilur Rehman visited various polling stations as well as the control room near the East Cantonment police stations to inspect security arrangements for the polling day.

He said all the police officers have been directed to perform duty with neutrality and as a national responsibility to ensure peaceful conduct of the polls. “People should come out of homes and cast vote,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

Senior Superintendent of Police Operations Peshawar, Javed Iqbal Wazir, said the checking spots at the entry and exit points in the provincial capital have been strengthened ahead of the polling day.

“Checking points have been erected at 70 places in Peshawar to keep an eye on suspicious elements. Deployment has been completed at all the 1,190 polling stations in the provincial capital, including 540 female polling stations,” the SSP Operations told The News.

He added that around 8,000 policemen have been deployed at the polling stations and other places in the city for the elections.

“The Anti-Riots Teams, the Quick Response Force and the Rapid Response Force have been alerted. As many as 50 reserve teams of around 900 personnel have been attached with city police officer, SPs, DSPs and SHOs for quick response when needed,” said the SSP Operations.

The official said drone cameras all over the city would cover different events live and transmit it to the control room.

“Around 78 strike units have been constituted for the day with two vehicles each. Besides, the city patrol force will be on alert and cover different events on cameras today,” said Javed Iqbal Wazir.