Army agrees to deploy troops: ECP

PESHAWAR: The secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan said here Thursday that the Pakistan Army had agreed to deploy troops to provide security during the re-polling process of the local government elections on July 5.
The secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad was in Peshawar to meet Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and discuss with him the polling arrangements. An official handout said the secretary ECP told the chief minister that ECP will also inquire into the causes of mismanagement and violence in the May 30 polling in the provice.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Election Commissioner and the provincial Education Minister Muhammad Atif and Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan also attended the meeting.The secretary ECP said that the army had accepted ECP’s request for deployment at all 365 polling stations. He said that keeping in view the incidents of mismanagement that occurred on May 30, the ECP had taken certain necessary measures to ensure smooth and transparent re-polling on July 5, which also include better and clear printing of 2.3 million ballot papers.
Appreciating cooperation of the provincial government with ECP for holding LG elections in the province, the secretary ECP said the world was also praising the establishment of local government system under a democratic provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On the occasion, the chief minister referred to the May 30 incidents and said the provincial government was not in favour of holding the LG elections in absence of the army. He welcomed the ECP efforts for the army deployment for the re-polling as per demand of the provincial government.
Meanwhile, arrangements for local government re- elections in 14 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were reviewed at a high-level meeting held here Thursday and it was decided to install CCTV cameras in the polling stations to ensure smooth polling.
According to an official handout, Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan was in the chair. The meeting was also attended by Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Baber Yaqub Fateh Mohammad, provincial Secretary Home Arbab Muhammad Arif, Inspector General Police Nasir Khan Durrani, Army authorities and relevant Divisional Commissioners and officers of Provincial Election Commission. The participants were informed that Pakistan Army troops would be deployed in and outside the polling stations along with police personnel on July 5.
The law-enforcing agencies will have full powers to arrest anybody involved in disrupting the electoral process. The Army will have the authority to take action against any official in case of a credible complaint.
The polling will start at 8 am and continue uninterrupted till 7 pm Arrangements for iftar of polling staff and other relevant authorities will also be made at the polling stations.Female supervisors will be posted at women polling stations and no irrelevant person would be allowed inside the polling stations.
Our correspondent in Lakki Marwat adds: A meeting, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Ihsanullah Khan, finalised arrangements for re-polling scheduled for July 5 in eight polling stations of the district.
The meeting also discussed matters pertaining to foolproof security, law and order situation and other facilities to voters. District election commissioner Noorza Ali Shah, assistant commissioner Sher Alam Khan, returning officers and other relevant officials were also present.
Our correspondent in Nowshera adds: The district administration Thursday announced to hold re-polling in the district under the supervision of army.Talking to reporters after chairing a meeting convened to review the preparations for the re-election on 89 polling stations in Nowshera, Deputy Commissioner and District Returning Officer Zakaullah Khattak said personnel of the security forces would be deployed at all the polling stations.
He said that the army would provide security to the polling staff and assist the administration in maintaining law and order in the district. The official said a comprehensive strategy had been chalked out for carrying out the process in a peaceful manner.
The participants of the meeting took exception to the non-cooperation by the female teachers in the re-election. They issued directives to the district education officer to ensure presence of female teachers at the polling stations on the polling day.