Law enforcement agencies in the city have prepared security strategies ahead of the NA-246 by-elections, which are scheduled to be held on April 23. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
With the NA-246 by-polls less than 10 days away, law enforcers are preparing their men and briefing the provincial government with security strategies.
To keep on top of the law and order situation on the day of the by-polls, the Rangers have set up an emergency helpline number: 1101. This was announced on Monday in a meeting held at the Rangers Headquarters with Rangers DG Gen Bilal Akbar, Karachi Police AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo, Rangers sector commanders, DIG West, Central deputy commissioner, provincial election commissioner, district returning officer for District Central and candidates contesting the elections.
The DG shared the Rangers' comprehensive security plan with those attending the meeting. He requested the candidates and their supporters to follow a code of conduct during the voting process so the by-polls can be carried out in a peaceful environment.
"The residents of NA-246 are requested to help the Rangers in maintaining the code of conduct and inform us if anything goes wrong by calling on the helpline," he said.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) candidate Rashid Nasim told The Express Tribune that they were satisfied with the Rangers' plans for election day.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi President Ali Zaidi attended the meeting with the Rangers and said that it was decided that the Rangers men will stand inside and outside the polling stations on the day of the polls.
Time to vote
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued on Monday a notification authorising the presiding officers of polling stations in NA-246 to exercise magisterial powers from April 22 to April 24. This means that the presiding officers will be able to exercise the powers of a Magistrate of the First Class under the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 in respect of the offences punishable under section 80, section 82A, section 83, section 84, section 85, section 86 and section of the Representation of the People Act, 1976.
According to the notification, the officers have also been instructed to take notice of any offence under the clauses of sub-section (1), section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Following demands from political parties to ensure law and order in NA-246 during the by-polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan ordered the deployment of Rangers in and outside the polling stations on election day.
The hot seat
Negotiations between the PTI and JI over who will withdraw their candidate have reached a deadlock as both the parties want the other to make their candidate step down.
The parties joined forces less than a week ago for the by-polls in NA-246 scheduled to take place on April 23.
The NA-246 seat fell vacant after Nabil Gabol, who was elected on a Muttahida Qaumi Movement ticket in the 2013 general elections, resigned from his seat due to differences with the party.
The JI and PTI are two of the country's biggest mainstream political parties and are also part of the coalition government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
A working alliance was formed between the JI and PTI before the last general election when JI's former ameer, Syed Munawar Hassan met PTI chief Imran Khan.
On April 8, both parties decided that they would join forces and contest the NA-246 elections as one. Sources claimed that contact had been made between JI's Sirajul Haq and senior leadership of the PTI, including, Arif Alvi and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
So far, both the parties have refused to withdraw their candidates.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2015.
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