Police leave no stone unturned for safe polls

Officers review security arrangements in NA-120 and protocols to follow today

LAHORE: Lahore Police have devised a ‘foolproof’ security plan to avert any untoward incident and control the law and order situation during the historic NA-120 election on Sunday.

Capital City Police Officer Amin Wains chaired a meeting of all the senior police officers of Lahore Police including Operations DIG Dr Haider Ashraf, Security DIG Moeen Masood, Investigations DIG Sultan Chaudhry, Operations SSP, Investigations SSP, Chief Traffic Officer, all divisional SPs, DSPs and SHOs at Qila Gujjar Singh Police Lines on Saturday. Police officers reviewed the security arrangements, protocols to be followed and briefed everyone about their designated duties on the day.



According to the plan, over 8,000 police officials will perform duties alongside officials of Pakistan Rangers Punjab, Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies under the supervision of 46 SHOs, 18 DSPs and 6 SPs for security at 220 polling stations.

Moreover, the constituency has been divided into five zones. A gazetted officer has been appointed in-charge of each zone. The zones have further been divided into sectors and sub-sectors. DSPs will be sector in-charges and sub inspectors will serve as sub-sector in-charges on the day.

Pickets will be established in the nearby areas of polling stations. Teams of Police Response Unit, Dolphin Squad and Elite Force will also be patrolling to keep an eye on any suspicious person or activity and respond in case of emergency.

Operations DIG said that he will deploy police forces according to gender sensitivity at polling stations. He said special teams, each comprising 20 officials, will respond immediately in case of any law and order situation at a polling station.

As per the ECP code of conduct, a specified area surrounding the polling station will be cordoned off with barbed wire and barricades. Every voter will be allowed entry after being frisked, checked with a metal detector and having to go through a walkthrough gate with CNIC in hand.

The officers also briefed their force to keep an eye on the gender of the voters entering the polling station. Snipers on nearby high-roofs of the polling stations will also be deployed to watch for any suspicious activity. Aerial surveillance of the area will also be conducted, they said.



Police officials will also perform duties during transportation and distribution of ballot papers at each polling station along with the staff of ECP.

Special measures for protection of every candidate have also been taken, said Haider Ashraf. Complete ban on display of arms will be ensured and anyone violating it will be arrested immediately. Implementation on other code of conduct of elections including ban on rallies after winning, establishment of camps at a prescribed distance will also ensured.

CCPO Amin Wains, while speaking on the occasion, said that they will use all available resources to protect the life and property of citizens.

He ordered all the officers to comply with the security plan and code of conduct at any cost. He ordered stern action, without discrimination, against anyone involved with hooliganism or creating a law and order situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2017.