PHOTO: FILE
The meeting was presided over by Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Fazulur Rehman at the New Sindh Secretariat. All caretaker provincial ministers, Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman, Inspector-General of Police Amjad Javed Saleemi and concerned provincial secretaries were present at the meeting.
The CM said that the main task of the caretaker government is to pave way for free, fair and transparent elections by providing all the basic facilities and maintaining the law and order. "We have to maintain public order, pre-empt terrorist threats and implement the code of conduct," Rehman said.
The CM said that the caretaker government has to ensure that security measures are taken pre-polls and on polling day, in addition to the security of polling staff and material.
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Briefing the cabinet, Major (retd) Suleman said that the Election Commission of Pakistan, through divisional and district administration, has identified 4,154 highly-sensitive polling stations in Sindh, which include 1,977 in Karachi, 1,206 in Hyderabad, 176 in Mirpurkhas, 124 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 289 in Sukkur and 382 in Larkana.
He said there will be around 17,606 polling stations, of which 4,350 are most-sensitive, 7,999 sensitive and 5,257 normal.
The cabinet discussed the security arrangements of all the polling stations and decided to install surveillance cameras along with arrangements of generators at all the polling station. The cabinet directed the finance department to release Rs600 million for installation of the cameras and generators.
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Giving a presentation to the cabinet, IG Saleemi said the general law and order situation in the province was satisfactory. However, law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies are constantly conveying advisory about the threats, he said, adding that the polarised environment due to general elections may also cause a law and order situation, including clashes between political groups. On this, the CM said nobody should be allowed to take the law into their hands.
Lauding the Karachi operation, the IG said terrorism was at its peak in 2013 when 51 terrorism incidents took place and now, in 2018, it has come to zero. Similarly, targeted killings were also at a peak in 2013 with 509 incidents recorded, which have come down to only two cases in 2018. Kidnapping for ransom was recorded at 109 in 2010 and eight this year.
He said that there was a potential threat of terrorism during the upcoming elections, but all law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies were working in close coordination to thwart all kind of threats.
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He said that eight policemen will be deployed at most-sensitive polling stations, four at sensitive and two at normal polling stations.
Under the security plan, the IG said 106,982 policemen, including 16,000 reserves, will be deployed at all polling stations. He added that a force of 76,310 policemen will be deployed at polling stations and 14,672 on patrolling.
Home Secretary Muhammad Haroon, briefing the cabinet about salient features of the security protocol for political leaders, said it includes no hate speech, no hoisting of flags or banners on public property, such as buildings or poles and no wall chalking on public property.
The political parties will have to obtain a no-objection certificate for large public gatherings and rallies, corner meetings and small gatherings from the concerned deputy commissioners and SSPs, Haroon said, adding that the route of public rallies of the political parties will be determined in consultation with police officials at least three days in advance.
It was pointed out that the security of political parties and candidates will be their own responsibility, however, the Sindh Police will be responsible for the overall security of the locality, area, venue and persons at the gathering at large. Political leaders may, however, deploy private security guards in uniform and with licensed arms for their personal security.
The organisers of political events were urged to record the proceedings of the event and provide the recordings to the local police.
The home secretary informed the meeting that an election law and order cell was being established at the home department for close coordination among law enforcement agencies, the IG office and field offices to monitor the election. Control rooms at provincial, divisional and district levels will be established three days before the elections.
On recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, the cabinet approved the appointment of Advocate Mohammad Hanif as a judge for anti-terrorism court (ATC) No IV, Karachi, Muzafar Hussain as a judge in ATC No XI, Karachi and Mohammad Khan Buriro as a judge in ATC No X, Karachi. The cabinet also appointed Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto as the incharge administrative judge for ATCs in the Karachi division for the summer vacation from July 2 to August 4.
The water board managing-director, Khalid Shaikh, briefed the cabinet about regularisation of sub-soil water supply to industries in Karachi. The regulations shall be in force for a period of three years and extendable for further terms subject to availability of sub-soil water.
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