Home dept seeks Rangers deployment for LG polls

The Sindh Home Department has written to the secretary of the Ministry of Interior to ask for the deployment of the Pakistan Rangers troops for the first phase of the local government elections in the province.

Officials said the election commission had recently notified the home department that they had received requests from different district heads of the commission for the deployment of Rangers troops during the LG Elections Phase-I.

The district election commission in their letter to the election commissioner had informed that various complaints and applications had been received from their division in connection with the deployment of the Rangers or the army, as the candidates contesting the LG polls had expressed apprehensions of rigging.

“There is always a possibility of quarrels, conflicts, fights, clashes, disputes, etc. at polling stations. Keeping in view the existing law and order situation and the pre-election activities in the district, the assistance of law enforcers, including the Pakistan Rangers, is required to have peaceful and fair elections.

“In order to avoid any untoward incident, it is, therefore, requested that the authorities concerned may kindly be approached for the deployment of the Pakistan Rangers inside and outside all the polling stations so that the Local Government Elections 2022 may be conducted smoothly and in a peaceful manner.”