144 polling stations declared sensitive in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi
In Rawalpindi district, 144 polling stations for the local bodies election have been declared highly sensitive where extra security personnel have been deployed. The local government has also issued high alert here in Rawalpindi on elections day.
City Police Officer (Rawalpindi) Israr Abbasi said we have issued high alert on election day. Total 17,000 police officials would perform duty on election day to avert any untoward incident, he claimed.
District Returning Officer (DRO) Nadeem Zubair said that 37 candidates have already won without contesting in nine district council wards. He has warned that the chances of clashes were high at ‘sensitive’ polling stations, but comparatively lower at normal polling stations based on previous elections.
The local administration also made arrangements to install CCTV cameras at sensitive stations and video recording will be held at ‘A’ and ‘B’ level stations. Rangers would help police for maintaining law and order and Rangers would be put on high alert for sensitive polling stations. Polling station would be handed over to Rangers if required. District Returning Officer (DRO) Nadeem Zubair said that 4,000 presiding officers and assistant presiding officers including other polling officers would conduct fair and transparent local bodies elections in 174 Union Councils (UC) in Rawalpindi district and in 46 Union Councils (UC) in Rawalpindi city. He also said that there are total of 120 Union Councils in district council jurisdiction while 46 Union Councils in Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and 8 Union Councils are in Murree.
The District Returning Officer, Rawalpindi, has established 1,762 polling stations including 502 for males and 504 for females and 756 for combined. Similarly, there would be 4,763 polling booths -- 2,463 for males and 2,300 for females. The total voters in Rawalpindi district are 2,645,603.
Punjab Election Commissioner Masood Malik, when contacted said, “The Army and Rangers Rapid Response Force will look after the overall security arrangements of the High Sensitive polling stations. The security forces will be patrolling the close surroundings of the Sensitive polling buildings areas.” “The number of the security forces at High Sensitive polling stations will be double as compare to the Sensitive polling buildings with the support of the police,” he added. The district administration also announced to impose ban on pillion riding within the jurisdiction of entire district. According to the office of District Coordination Officer, the ban has been clamped in view to ensure security of the masses under section 144 CrPC on Local Bodies elections to be held on Saturday. Meanwhile, locals on Friday have faced shortage of private transports like wagons, Suzuki and mini-buses as local management impounded many vehicles to send election materials to polling stations.