The Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho has written a letter to the head of All Pakistan Security Agencies Association to request him for deployment of their security guards outside the polling stations during the local government elections in Karachi on July 24.
Guards of the private security companies will be deployed on the direction of Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs). The deployment will be from 7am to 5pm on the polling day.
The police chief said that it was wrong to say that his force lacked personnel for the election duties. He said that the local government elections were a big event which required deployment of an extraordinary number of personnel.
He said that around 40,000 personnel would be posted as part of comprehensive arrangements made for security during these elections. These will include 14,000 from interior Sindh and 28,000 from Karachi police.
At each "highly sensitive polling station", eight personnel will be deployed, while four personnel will be deployed at each "sensitive polling station". Apart from the polling stations, police will also be deployed on streets and roads.
The police chief said that assistance was also sought from other institutions to make sure the election security was fool-proof. Excise police and national volunteers will also help during the election while employees of other government institutions will also be given security duty. Lady health workers will be posted in women's polling stations.
The shortfall of security staff will be fulfilled by guards of private security companies and the expenses will be paid by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2022.
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