Pakistan Army once again turned down the Sindh Government’s request for deployment of Troops outside the “sensitive” polling stations during the Karachi and Hydrabad local government polls scheduled by 15th January 2023.
In a letter, The Ministry of Interior informed the Election Commission of Pakistan that the ECP’s request seeking additional deployment of Army and Rangers Troops outside the polling stations was rejected by the Military operations directorate, General Headquarters (GHQ).
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“In response, MO Dte (military operations directorate), GHQ has stated that as already intimated given current deployment and very high number of sensitive and most sensitive polling stations, required static deployment and security cover to polling staff and material as desired by [ECP] is not possible,” a letter from the interior ministry to the commission read.
It added: “Provincial Home Departments are responsible for providing requisite troops/police component for 1st tier response / static deployment at Polling Stations while Civil Armed Forces (CAFs) and Pakistan Army can only provide Quick Reaction Forces (QRFs) for 2nd and 3rd tier response, respectively.”
“Moreover, the current tiered deployment of law enforcement agencies/civil armed forces/army, as already practiced in multiple elections/local government elections in the last couple of years, has paid its dividends and is considered suitable for application in impending Sindh Local Government Elections (Phase-2) as well,” the ministry’s letter read.
“An effort will be made to provide required static deployment of Rangers at these polling stations in support of police as a one-time measure,” the letter states.
Remember that ECP has categorized all 8,924 polling stations for the upcoming LG polls as either sensitive or most sensitive.
The development comes after law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have warned of terror threats in the upcoming local government (LG) polls in Karachi and Hyderabad and urged ECP to postpone polls.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday rejected the Sindh Government’s notification to postpone the Local Government polls in Karachi & Hyderabad and ruled that the local bodies elections in Sindh will be held as per schedule by 15th January 2023.
The decision to hold LG polls per schedule was taken in an important meeting of the ECP chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
Read More : ECP rejected the Sindh government’s request to Postpone LG polls in Karachi & Hyderabad
