Poll preparations: COAS again calls on caretaker PM

PM Mulk also chaired a briefing on the preparations and arrangements being made for the smooth conduct of elections

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government held a meeting on Monday to review security measures for the general election by engaging military, paramilitary and law enforcement agencies.

Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk was briefed in detail by officials of the interior and defence ministries regarding security arrangements for the conduct of the upcoming polls.



Prior to this meeting, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk ostensibly to discuss security matters in connection with the general election.

A press statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office simply confirmed the caretaker PM’s meeting with the COAS but gave no further details.

This was second such meeting between the caretaker PM and the army chief in less than three weeks.

General Bajwa had earlier called on the caretaker PM on June 6.

According to officials privy to this meeting, the army chief assured the interim PM about deploying as many military and paramilitary personnel as required by the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

They said that a detailed contingency plan in this would be mapped out by the military authorities in liaison with ECP officials and caretaker governments at the centre and provinces. The plan, officials said, would envisage not only guarding polling stations but also ensuring safe and secure transportation of voting material to the polling stations.

An official said that the ECP would soon share a list of all polling stations, including those marked as sensitive, with the caretaker government.

The ECP and the interim governments at the centre and provinces are coordinating with the security officials for deploying military troops inside and outside highly sensitive polling stations and military or paramilitary troops outside sensitive polling stations (not inside).

Police personnel would guard normal polling stations, it is learnt.

The authorities are also reviewing another option of engaging the military as a quick response force in the general election.

Another official said the authorities concerned were trying to overcome various security issues and logistical challenges during the elections. “This requires deployment of a significant number of military and paramilitary troops, law enforcement personnel in addition to assigning field duties to officials of other government departments. The free and fair polls cannot be held unless all state institutions worked in a cohesive manner,” the official said.

According to him, the recent meetings between the caretaker PM and top security officials were encouraging, adding that the interim prime minister had been assured of support for the the timely conduct of free and fair polls.

Another press release issued by the PM’s Office stated that the secretary of the Election Commission Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad gave a detailed presentation on arrangements for conducting the general election.



He also elaborated upon details of the Code of Conduct, governing electoral candidates, presiding officers and polling staff, deployment of law enforcement agencies for election duties, media and local and foreign election observers.

The PM “expressed satisfaction over preparations made by the ECP … Ensuring the conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections was the prime responsibility of the ECP,” the statement said.

He reiterated that the federal and the provincial governments were committed to providing all possible support to the ECP in discharging its constitutional obligations.

The meeting was attended, among others, by interim chief ministers of all provinces, caretaker interior minister, secretaries of ECP, officials of the prime minister’s office, ministries of interior and defence, inspectors-general of all provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration.