Daily Times

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared 65 percent of polling stations and polling booths in Sindh ‘sensitive’ or ‘very sensitive’.

According to the data released by the Commission, there are a total of 17, 747 polling stations in Sindh, out of which 5, 776 have been declared ‘sensitive’ while 5,673 have been declared’very sensitive’.

In Karachi, 698 polling stations and 2, 790 polling booths of East district, 237 polling stations and 1,359 polling booths of West district, 223 polling stations and 892 polling booth of South district and 244 polling stations and 936 polling booths of Central district have been declared ‘very sensitive’.

The ECP said that CCTV cameras are being installed at all the ‘very sensitive’ polling stations while additional number of army, police and Rangers personnel will also be deployed at these stations to maintain law and order on the polling day.

The Commission lately reviewed arrangements being made by the provincial government to ensure implementation of code of conduct for the general elections 2018.

ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad held a meeting with Sindh Chief Secretary Azam Suleman Khan and reviewed all the arrangements including provision of water, sewerage system, electricity and installation of closed-circuit television cameras at polling stations.

The senior ECP official expressed satisfaction on the implementation of code of conduct and arrangements,

In the meeting, which was attended by Provincial Election Commissioner (Sindh) Mohammad Yousuf Khan Khattak, IGP Sindh Amjad Saleemi, Home secretary Haroon Ahmad Khan, Services Secretary Riazuddin Qureshi, Karachi Commissioner Mohammad Saleh Farooqui, AIG Police Mushtaq Mahar and other senior officers concerned, a briefing was given on the steps being taken for holding free and fair elections and for implementation of the code of conduct.

The chief secretary stated that all-out efforts were being made to ensure fair, free and transparent elections in Sindh and foolproof security arrangements had been finalised till the completion of election process.

“Intelligence committees on provincial, divisional and district levels have been constituted to monitor and resolve the day-to-day issues to this effect,” informed the Chief Secretary.

Published in Daily Times, July 12^th 2018.