Sindh says cannot provide security for LG polls for three months

ECP told in written response that police responsibilities have increased

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that it cannot provide security for the second phase of local government elections for another three months.

In a written response submitted to the ECP, the provincial government has stated that the police responsibilities have increased due to the ongoing rehabilitation of flood victims, anti-Covid vaccination campaign and an international defence exhibition in Karachi. In this situation, police personnel cannot be summoned from other districts for the LG elections in Karachi, it stated.

The ECP had asked the Sindh government for a response by November 1 regarding the holding of LB elections.

The Sindh government stated that 37,523 police personnel are required for the LG elections in Karachi. Less than half of them - 17,760 to be exact - will have to be called from other districts of the province, which is not possible due to the huge increase in the engagements of the force.

Apart from this, 5,000 policemen have been sent to Islamabad on the request of the federal ministry of interior to secure the capital during PTI's long march.

A total of 4,995 polling stations will be set up for the LG elections in Karachi. Of which, 1,307 have already been declared "highly sensitive" and the remaining 3,688 are "sensitive". Eight police officials will have to be posted at each of "highly sensitive" polling station and four at "sensitive" polling station. This shows that it is not possible to ensure security for the municipal elections without calling police personnel from other districts, it added.

The second phase of LG elections, in which polling has to be held in Karachi and Hyderabad, has been postponed thrice despite strong protests from other political parties. The last time, the ECP postponed the LG elections in seven districts of Karachi on the request of the Sindh government and announced that another meeting would be held in this regard after 15 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2022.