by Amna Ali in The Express Tribune, Dec 5, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requested on Monday the federal government for the deployment of Pakistan Army and the civil armed forces personnel at polling stations during the upcoming general elections on February 8.
The request, made through a letter addressed to Federal Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani, invoked Article 220 of the Constitution, emphasising the duty of all executive authorities to support the ECP in fulfilling its functions.
The letter, signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, disclosed a significant shortfall of 277,558 security personnel required for the effective conduct of the general elections.
Breaking down the current strength of police personnel versus the necessary deployment for election purposes, the commission provided details obtained from the inspectors general of police of the four provinces and the federal capital of Islamabad.
Punjab, the most populous province of the coutnry, currently has 108,500 police force in contrast to the 277,610 security personnel, required for the election. Similarly, Sindh, the second-largest province, boasts of 105,000 police personnel against the necessary 123,500 security officers.
The provinces of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), facing constant threats of terror attacks and recent incidents targeting security personnel and civilians, are also grappling with a shortage of security personnel.
Balochistan reports 18,150 police officers compared to the required 31,919 security personnel, while K-P has 93,260 police officers against the recommended strength of 149,077 security officers. Furthermore, Islamabad has 4,500 police officers available against the stipulated requirement of 9,000 security staff.. …..
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448915/ecp-demands-troop-deployment-during-polls
