Free, fair AJKLA polls to be ensured, says chief secretary

MUZAFFARABAD: Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan Tuesday said all resources would be channelised to ensure peaceful, impartial and transparent Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (AJKLA) elections on July 25.

Addressing a news conference here, he said the directions of the Election Commission would be fully implemented by the state government. Additional Chief Secretary General Dr Asif Hussain, Secretary Information Midhat Shahzad and Inspector General of Police Sohail Habib Tajik were also present.

The chief secretary said 5,300 personnel of Azad Kashmir police would be deployed, while 32,200 civil armed forces personnel from other provinces would be deployed at the polling stations.

He said over 6,000 to 7,000 armed forces personnel would also be deployed and it was the highest deployment of law enforcing agencies in the elections. He said 826 polling stations had been declared most sensitive and 1,209 sensitive. Eight security personnel each would be deployed at the most sensitive polling station and six at the sensitive polling station.

Shakeel said powers of first class magistrate had been delegated to 250 officers and the presiding officers to ensure peaceful and impartial election. The chief secretary said the code of conduct announced by the Election Commission would be fully implemented. Replying to a question, he said control rooms at district and central level had been set up to provide the latest information about the elections. He urged the media persons to file reports after complete verification so that peaceful and transparent elections could be ensured.