PM expresses satisfaction over security arrangements for polls

Mulk says facilitating free, fair and peaceful election a joint responsibility of Centre, provinces

PESHAWAR: While expressing satisfaction over security arrangements made by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government for the General Election 2018, Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk said that facilitating free, fair and peaceful election is a joint responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.

The caretaker PM said this on Wednesday as he chaired a meeting on law and order in the province at Governor House in Peshawar.

The moot was attended by the K-P Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Caretaker Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khan, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Tahir, chief secretary, provincial election commissioner and senior officers of the federal and provincial government.



According to a statement, the PM appreciated the ‘considerable improvement’ in the law and order situation in K-P in the recent years. He also lauded the sacrifices rendered by the people and officials of law-enforcement agencies in restoring peace in the province.

Mulk laid emphasis on establishing institutional structure in the areas that previously constituted the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and are now part of K-P.

“The federal government, in close coordination with the provincial government, is working to facilitate the residents of the area and ensure smooth transition of the process,” he said.

Earlier, the IGP provided a detailed briefing to the PM on the prevailing law and order situation in the province. He also gave an update on crimes against person and property, the arrest of proclaimed offenders, recovery of weapons and targets achieved under the National Action Plan.



He informed the meeting that 1,306 officials of the K-P police have been martyred since 2004. The meeting was also briefed on the security arrangements made by the provincial government for protecting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) projects.

The IGP also brief the PM on requirements for policing in the context of the changing dynamics of the province after its merger with former Fata.



He said apart from the K-P Police, Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police would also be deployed in the province for ensuring security during the conduct of General Election 2018 in the province.

Earlier, during his visit to Peshawar, the caretaker PM held separate meetings with the governor and chief minister of the province at Governor House.