ECP demands troop deployment during polls

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requested on Monday the federal government for the deployment of Pakistan Army and the civil armed forces personnel at polling stations during the upcoming general elections on February 8.

The request, made through a letter addressed to Federal Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani, invoked Article 220 of the Constitution, emphasising the duty of all executive authorities to support the ECP in fulfilling its functions.

The letter, signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, disclosed a significant shortfall of 277,558 security personnel required for the effective conduct of the general elections.

Breaking down the current strength of police personnel versus the necessary deployment for election purposes, the commission provided details obtained from the inspectors general of police of the four provinces and the federal capital of Islamabad.

Punjab, the most populous province of the coutnry, currently has 108,500 police force in contrast to the 277,610 security personnel, required for the election. Similarly, Sindh, the second-largest province, boasts of 105,000 police personnel against the necessary 123,500 security officers.

The provinces of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), facing constant threats of terror attacks and recent incidents targeting security personnel and civilians, are also grappling with a shortage of security personnel.

Balochistan reports 18,150 police officers compared to the required 31,919 security personnel, while K-P has 93,260 police officers against the recommended strength of 149,077 security officers. Furthermore, Islamabad has 4,500 police officers available against the stipulated requirement of 9,000 security staff.

Meanwhile, according to sources, Finance Secretary Imad Ullah Bosal met with the ECP officials on Monday to discuss the election-related matters. During the meeting, Bosal assured that the funds required for elections would be disbursed within the next two days.

After the meeting, Bosal in an informal interaction with the media, said that the finance ministry would release whatever funds the commission required for the upcoming elections.

The delay in the disbursement of funds has sparked discussions about the potential deferment of the scheduled elections on February 8, 2024. This issue has consistently drawn attention since the dissolution of legislatures, which occurred three days before the completion of their five-year terms on August 9.

According to the Constitution, the ECP was obligated to conduct polls within 90 days, following the dissolution of assemblies, effectively setting the deadline for November 10. However, immediately after the dissolution of legislatures, the election body declared its inability to hold elections within the specified timeframe as it was supposed to complete the delimitation process in view of the new population census notified in August.

The ECP on September 21 announced holding elections in the last week of January without giving a specific date. The ECP and President Dr Arif Alvi, however, agreed on November 2 that the general elections will be held on February 8 after the Supreme Court directed the ECP to set the polling date.

Interestingly, the ECP has received at least three petitions seeking postponement in elections on various grounds, including the possible snowfall in northern areas of the country in the month of February.
Also, a federal minister on Monday clarified that there was “no crisis” hindering funding for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding the upcoming general elections as reports surfaced that the finance ministry had failed to release funds to the ECP despite repeated reminders.

“There is no crisis in meeting the financial needs of the ECP. Whatever budgeted amount is needed by the ECP will be released as per its needs,” said Caretaker Minister for Information and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi in a tweet on X.

“We firmly stand behind the ECP in holding free and fair elections as mandated by the Article 218(3) of the Constitution,” the minister added.

Solangi mentioned that the cabinet had green-lit Rs42 billion for the ECP’s budgetary requirements, with Rs10 billion already disbursed. He further stated, “The ECP has requested the release of Rs17.4 billion from the approved budget.”

The Express Tribune had earlier reported that after releasing Rs10 billion, the government was delaying the release of the remaining amount, prompting the polls body to summon the finance secretary.