Pre-poll rhetoric: Sindh to seek Rangers’ help for LG elections

Provincial govt has decided to ask army to stay on standby in sensitive areas


Our Correspondent September 07, 2015
Provincial govt has decided to ask army to stay on standby in sensitive areas. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to deploy Rangers in sensitive polling stations across Karachi and other districts of the province.

They will also request the Pakistan Army to be on standby during the local government elections scheduled to start from October 31 in Sukkur and Larkana divisions. In this connection, a high-level meeting, chaired by chief secretary Mohammad Siddique Memon, was held at Sindh Secretariat on Monday. The meeting reportedly concluded with reservations over the elections schedule.

Official sources told The Express Tribune that majority of the participants, including commissioners of all the divisions, DIGs and officials of various government departments expressed concern over the appointment of bank officers as 'returning officers'. "Around 316 returning officers and 550 assistants have been appointed, some of whom are bank officials working in national and agriculture banks," said an official who was present in the meeting.



"The commissioners pointed out that these bank officials had no previous experience in conducing elections and this would create problems," he reasoned.

Though the polling schemes have not yet been notified, officials of the provincial election commission told the meeting that 16,600 presiding officers and 18,216 assistants will be posted in 29 districts of the province.

Provincial election commissioner Tanveer Zaki, home secretary Mukhtiar Soomro, Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali, health secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, finance secretary Sohail Rajput, DIGs and commissioners of all divisions as well as representatives of the Rangers attended the meeting.  "The meeting was held to discuss the local government elections and we briefed it about the measures being taken by election commission," said the provincial election commission, while addressing the media.

"The meeting recommended preparing a district-level security plan," said Zaki, adding that the Rangers will be deployed at sensitive locations and the provincial government may call the army if needed. Sources said that the meeting also discussed forming a monitoring committee under the supervision of the district returning officers.

One of the participants of the meeting, who requested not be named, said that some officials were not satisfied with the election commission's schedule.  "Muharram will come to an end on October 24 or 25. The candidates will have only four to five days to campaign. How this will happen?" said the source, quoting a few senior bureaucrats.  He added that the government may approach the election commission again to delay the polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th,  2015.

 

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