Islamabad LG polls: Voting ends peacefully

ISLAMABAD:

The first party-based local government (LG) elections of the capital concluded peacefully on Monday.

A battalion of the Pakistan Army and around 8,000 officials of the police, rangers and Frontier Constabulary performed security duties.

Out of the 640 polling stations in 50 union councils of Islamabad, 62 were declared ‘sensitive’ by the Special Branch of the Islamabad Police. Security remained at high alert with over 30 teams of law enforcers patrolling the capital.

IGP Tahir Alam Khan expressed satisfaction at the polling process saying no untoward incident was reported throughout the day from any part of the city. “No incident occurred and the overall polling process went smoothly,” a spokesperson for the IGP quoted him as saying.

Moreover, the police claimed to have arrested three men for carrying weapons and registered cases against them at the Lohi Bher Police Station. The police seized two Kalashnikovs, four pistols and ammunition from their possession.

They have been booked for violating Section-144 imposed in the capital. A complete ban was imposed on carrying or exhibiting weapons during the elections. In addition, the police had also placed a ban on aerial firing and fireworks.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2015.