Shots fired at Asad Umar’s corner meeting

26 polling stations in Islamabad declared highly sensitive

ISLAMABAD: Police are investigating after unidentified people fired aerial shots near a corner meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar in Sector G-11 late on Friday night.

Police said Umar was addressing the gathering in Sector G-11/2 when a car rally by PML-N supporters consisting of at least nine vehicles passed by the PTI gathering where around 200 PTI supporters were gathered.

Police say Umar was addressing the meeting when slogans were raised from both the sides and they had to intervene to separate the two rival groups.

A minute later, a shot was fired in the air just outside the PTI gathering, due to which Umar had to end his speech and leave the venue. A few seconds later four more shots were fired in the air in a nearby street.

Police said they were still investigating the case and were clueless who had fired the shots. A case has also been registered at the Ramna police station against unidentified persons.

Meanwhile, PML-N supporters have also lodged a complaint with the police after fires were allegedly shots outside their election office in Sector E-11 at around the same time of the G-11 incident.

According to the complaint lodged with Golra police, two motorcyclists opened fire at the election office of PML-N candidate for NA-54 Anjum Aqeel Khan. Police said shots were fired into the air near the office and they were looking into the case.

Sensitive polling stations

The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) has declared 26 polling stations of the federal capital as highly sensitive. Security at these polling stations will be at red-alert, officials said.

According to the administrative division of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Islamabad is part of the Rawalpindi region.

Out of 786 polling stations of federal capital, 26 have been declared highly sensitive, 87 sensitive and 673 normal.

Officials said that security arrangements for elections 2018 in Rawalpindi division have been finalised and polling stations have been categorised in three categories A, B and C. Of these A is highly sensitive, B sensitive and C normal.

As many as 606 polling stations (PSs) set up for general elections 2018, have been declared highly sensitive while 1,036 as sensitive in Rawalpindi division including Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum and Islamabad while tight security arrangements have been finalised for all category polling stations.

In 1,069 polling stations of Attock, 301 have been declared highly sensitive,532 sensitive while 236 are normal.

Rawalpindi district has 2,576 polling stations, of which 145 are highly sensitive, 99 sensitive and 2,332 normal while Chakwal district with a total of 925 polling stations has 74 highly sensitive, 217 sensitive and 634 normal.

Similarly, Jhelum has 60 highly sensitive polling stations, 101 sensitive and 597 normal.

The administration has finalised  security arrangements for the division as 12,841 police personnel will be deployed at 5,328 polling stations in four districts of Rawalpindi 0division including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal.

Meanwhile, the security plan for the polling stations falling under the administrative control of Islamabad capital territory has been finalised by the Islamabad administration separately.

with additional input from APP 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2018.