ECP to enlist 1 million staff for election duty

Sources say list of presiding officers (POs), assistant presiding officers (APOs) and other polling staff compiled

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) prepared plans to enlist nearly 1 million individuals to fill essential roles for the polling, a source said on Sunday, the polls supervisor geared up for the upcoming general elections in the country.

The sources said that the list of presiding officers (POs), assistant presiding officers (APOs) and other polling staff had been compiled, adding that a total of 107,361 officers were set to be deployed nationwide for duty on the polling day.

“There will be approximately 700,000 polling officers and staff members, and the count may increase to around 900,000 to 1 million when security personnel are included. However, the final number will be confirmed once the election schedule is announced,” an ECP sources said.

According to preliminary estimates, approximately 526,123 staff – 54,706 POs, 310,968 APOs, and 160,445 staff -- will be assigned election duties in Punjab, while 264,100 staff, including 20,315 POs, 162,523 APOs and 81,262 other staff will be appointed in Sindh.

Similarly, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 16,525 POs, 100,085 APOs and 50,045 polling staff will be appointed, making their combined strength to 166,655. In Balochistan, a total of 50,491 people will be designated, including 5,266 POs, 30,150 APOs and 15,075 other staff.