LAHORE: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan on Friday advised the police and administration to stay impartial during local government elections. He said, “Governments, prime ministers and ministers come and go but the bureaucracy stays on and the civil servants should not become victim to any political pressure.” The CEC expressed these views while chairing a high-level meeting regarding preparations for the second phase of local government elections in Punjab. The meeting was attended by the provincial election commissioner, IGP, chief secretary, ECP secretary, local government secretary, home secretary, divisional commissioners, DPOs, returning officers and others. The CEC paid his gratitude to the departments concerned and security agencies over successful arrangements for the first phase of LG elections held on October 31. He said the Election Commission, while learning from the mistakes made in first phase, would improvise and find solutions before holding the second phase. Quoting a speech of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in which he had addressed civil servants in Peshawar on April 1948, the CEC said the governments, prime ministers and minister were not permanent as they come and go but the countries were run by bureaucracy as it stayed on. He urged the government officers to perform their duties honestly and without any political pressure. The CEC directed district returning officers (DROs) and ROs to use their powers and take strict action against those creating trouble in election process. During the course of meeting, the provincial election commissioner, Masud Ahmed Malik, briefed the participants, informing that the ECP had established 12,000 polling stations for the second phase and appointed 110,000 polling staff in 12 districts. Moreover, the commission had declared 960 polling stations as highly sensitive and 3,000 as sensitive, he added. The RO for NA-154 showed his satisfaction over the arrangements for by-poll in his constituency and said 303 polling stations had been established. The DROs of Sheikhupura, Hafizabad and Gujranwala informed the CEC that crime rate was very high in their respective districts and asked him to direct the authorities concerned to make strict security arrangements. Later, ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob told media said the commission would deploy 100,000 police officials in the 12 districts on November 19 for the second phase. He said 40 companies of army and six of Pakistan rangers would be on standby as Quick Response Force (QRF). Furthermore, lady police officials would also be deployed on specific female polling stations after being pointed out by the DRO concerned, he added. He said 5,000 police officials would also be deployed to maintain law and order after polling time, adding that they would perform their duties 4pm onwards till the announcement of results. Moreover, it had been proposed to ban celebration of election victory and to reduce polling time till 5 p.m. However, no decision had been made yet, he added. He vowed to make sure strict implementation of code of conduct and said polling camps of political parties would be placed 300 meters away from polling stations. The secretary informed that the re-election would hold on December 14 in those union councils where polling was postponed in first phase due to mistakes in ballot papers or other reasons.
