CCTV cameras to be installed at sensitive polling stations

Chief secretary orders deployment of Rangers along with police for security

KARACHI:

Rangers and police will be deployed and close circuit television cameras (CCTV) will be installed at the over 2,900 highly-sensitive polling-stations during the upcoming Local Government (LG) Elections, said Provincial Election Commissioner Aijaz Anwar Chohan.

This was said in a meeting regarding local body elections held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput at Sindh Secretariat on Monday.

Provincial Election Commissioner Aijaz Anwar Chohan, IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, Home Secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangrejo, Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Secretary Local Government Syed Najam Ahmed Shah were present at the meeting, while other divisional commissioners and DIGs attended the meeting via a video link.

The meeting reviewed security and other arrangements for the upcoming local body elections. While addressing the meeting, Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput said that the Sindh government will provide all facilities to the Election Commission for the peaceful conduct of local body elections.

Provincial Election Commissioner Aijaz Anwar Chohan said that the Election Commission has taken notice of the law and order situation emerged at NA-240. He further said that the local body elections in the province will be held in two phases. In the first phase elections will be held in 14 districts of Mirpirkhas, Larkana, Sukkur and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions, he said. He further informed the meeting that that 21,298 candidates are contesting in the first phase, while more than 25 million ballot papers have been printed.

Anwar said that orders have also been issued to HESCO and SEPCO to ensure power supply during the elections. It was decided at the meeting that Rangers and police will be deployed at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations and CCTV cameras will also be installed at the most sensitive polling stations.

The Chief Secretary Sindh instructed all Divisional Commissioners that the missing facilities at the polling stations should be completed in two days.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2022.