Polling in Peshawar: 13,000 policemen to secure district

Officers to be backed by army, FC personnel, khasadars.

PESHAWAR:

A total of 13,963 policemen—backed by five platoons of the Pakistan Army, 1,200 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and a 1,250-strong Frontier Corps (FC) contingent—have been deployed in Peshawar district today as part of election security.

There will be a complete ban on the display of weapons, the movement of Afghan refugees and the use of loudspeakers. Private armed guards cannot enter any polling station.

Planning safety

“There are intelligence reports about the possibility of terrorist activity on election day and a security plan has been plotted accordingly,” a police official told The Express Tribune. The 996 polling stations in the city will be protected accordingly – 613 most sensitive, 372 sensitive and just 11 normal stations. There are an estimated 1.365 million voters in Peshawar district and around 2,885 polling booths.

“Police has been asked to chalk out a security plan for every individual polling station according to the design and location of the building,” he said. “A security zone, measuring a minimum of 20 metres, will be established around each polling station and no vehicle will be allowed inside it,” he added.

“The army will patrol the cantonment area and be available to tackle any emergency,” he said.

The district has been divided into the urban, cantonment and rural zones. A red zone starts from Soikarno Chowk to Malik Saad Shaheed Flyover, Dabgari Gardens, City police headquarters, Police Lines and Central Prison Peshawar.

Manpower and equipment

At least 111 checkpoints have been established under the supervision of as many head constables. Around 335 constables will man these posts.

Police have been provided with 283 vehicles, 396 pickups, eight trucks, 800 pocket phones, 10 base sets, 20 mobile sets, 300 jammers, 15 armoured vehicles and 10 ambulances.

“The Quick Response Force (QRF) will patrol the city roads along with elite force contingents,” he added, saying the total strength of the regular police in the district is around 6,000. Regardless, Frontier Reserve Police (FRP), elite force and police volunteers have been deployed. The volunteers will be paid and police has requested the provincial government to provide Rs60 million to meet election expenditures.

Bring in the khasadars

A squad of 43 Khyber khasadars will also help maintain law and order in the provincial capital.

Jamrud Political Tehsildar Naek Muhammad said the squad of 43 personnel would be headed by Subedar Saeed Khan and Hawaldar Noor Muhammad Afridi. All of them are well trained to tackle any untoward situation, he added.

He said the personnel were deputed to Peshawar’s civil administration and posted at different polling stations near Khyber Agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2015.