371,000 army personnel to be deployed for polls, DG ISPR informs Senate committee

85,307 polling stations across the country, 18,000 CCTV cameras to be installed

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior was informed on Thursday by a top military official that 371,000 army personnel will be deployed for election duty.

"371,000 army men will be deployed across polling stations throughout Pakistan," said Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor.

"Two army personnel will be present inside the polling station," he added.



Briefing the standing committee on security arrangements for the upcoming polls, Maj Gen Ghafoor added that the Pakistan Army is also providing security to printing presses where ther ballot papers are being prepared.

He reiterated that the army has no direct role in the upcoming elections and added that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) master trainers had trained the army's trainers.

The DG said the security situation in the country is being approved in the run up to the polls.

"We are working on the directives of the ECP to maintain a peaceful situation," he said and added that the armed forces have always lent their support to civil institutions.

The session of the committee was chaired by Senator Rehman Malik and the committee also prayed for the victims of Mastung and Peshawar suicide attacks.

The session was attended by National Counter Terrorism Authority's (NACTA) coordinator, top police officials from all the provinces, the interior secretary, defense secretary, ECP secretary and DG ISPR.

The NACTA coordinator informed the top level government committee that threats from Muttahida Quami Movement-London’s (MQM-L) existed and many politicians were under threat from various terrorist groups.



The ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad apprised the committee members regarding the number of polling stations throughout the country and the delivery of ballot papers.

 

• There are 85,307 polling stations across the country


• 47,813 polling stations in Punjab


• 4,420 polling stations in Balochistan


• 12,634 polling stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


• 17,747 polling stations in Sindh


• 1,736 polling stations in FATA

He added that 18,000 CCTV cameras will be installed at sensitive polling stations.

Before concluding, he relayed that balloting papers have been delivered to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

With additional input from the APP