Daily Times

Police and other law enforcers observed high alert in and outside the polling stations in the constituencies as well as its surrounding areas to provide peaceful atmosphere for citizens during polling procedure.

This by-election was a big challenge for both Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) but even then, the workers for both major parties remained nonviolent in the provincial metropolis.

Tight security arrangements were maintained in and around the polling stations in the constituency, however at many places, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) instructions of keeping camps and non-voters away from the 400 yards radius of the polling stations was unobserved.

An unpleasant incident was observed at Nadrabad NA-131 constituency area where the supporters and voters of PMLN were present in their camps. PTI candidate Humayun Akhtar along with his supporters passed by PMLN camps when both party workers started shouting at each other and later they beating each other up. Upon being informed, police and Army officials reached the spot and peacefully dispersed the angry activists from both the parties.

Another brawl was also observed at Farooqabad NA-131, where PTI and PMLN workers chanted slogans against each other. The police and other law enforcers immediately reached the spot and controlled the situation, while no major or minor incident was reported in other areas of the polling stations of the constituencies.

At various places, political workers were seen bringing voters on their transport from their houses in violation of the code of conduct framed by the ECP. A very tight security was maintained by the Army and police.

During these by-elections, four layer security was provided.

Capital City Police Officer Nasir, Deputy Inspector General Operations Shahzad Akbar and other senior police officers also visited different polling stations to observe the law and order situation as well as monitored the security duties at all polling stations on two NA and two PP seats in the provincial metropolis.

Similarly, the patrolling teams under the superintendent of police rank officer remained on patrolling duty throughout the polling process.

Published in Daily Times, October 15^th 2018.