Daily Times

Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Omar Hameed Khan has directed special focus on security, ensuring the installation of CCTV cameras and increase in the number of security personnel during re-polling in sensitive polling stations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He issued these directives while addressing an arrangement review meeting regarding re-polling in the first phase of the KP local bodies electionscheduled on February 13, here in the Chief Secretary Office of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday.

Besides, Chief Secretary Dr Shehzad Khan Bangash, Additional Inspector General (AIGP) Usman, Secretary Establishment Arif Shahbaz, Secretary Home Khushal Khan, Secretary Local Govt Shakeel Khan, Lt Colonel Haider Zaman, Lt Colonel Ishtiaq and Major Jawad of 11 Corps. Deputy Commandant Frontier Constabulary (FC) Captain (Retd) Abdul Saeed, Provincial Election Commissioner KP Mohammad Raziq, Director General (EG) ECP Sharifullah, Joint Secretary PEC Mohammad Farid Afridi, Director Local Govt Zulfikar Ahmad and others attended the meeting.

The secretary Election Commission said that according to Article 220 of the Constitution, the administration is bound in assisting the ECP in holding free and transparent polls. Therefore, he said besides provision of guidance to the general public, voters, candidates and political parties, the provision of equal opportunities for participation in the electoral process should also be guaranteed.He further said that during the first phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa some unpleasant incidents also occurred in polling stations of various districts that resulted in withholding of the polling. He said that now in those 12 districts including Peshawar, Nowshera, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Kohat, Karrak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, D.I. Khan, Buner and Bajaur re-polling is being scheduled in 237 polling stations on February 13.

These polling stations are collectively included 331 polling stations of Charsadda, Mardan, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, D.I. Khan and Bajaur. He directed the implementation of the directives of the ECP in this regard in letter and spirit to ensure re-polling in these polling stations in a peaceful environment.

Giving further directives, the secretary ECP also directed for making arrangements for the allocation of the election staff, particularly women staffers, distribution of polling material, provision of transportation and security arrangements. He said that if requires they will also obtain the services of Pak Army and Frontier Corps.

Similarly, he also directed for making sufficient security arrangements in the offices of the District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) during preparation of results.

Briefing the meeting regarding security arrangements, the additional inspector general of police (IGP) said that sufficient security arrangements have been made in the sensitive, highly sensitive and normal polling stations and wherever need arises reserve squad would also be deployed.

During the meeting, the authorities of 11 Corps and FC told that wherever the security staff is required would be filled through police and local administration to complete the re-polling process in a peaceful manner.