In aid of civil authorities: Army brass pledges all-out support for election
Corps commanders discuss security situation in the country, TTP’s truce offer, upcoming polls.
“Once we receive ECP’s final plan, we will decide accordingly,” says military official.
ISLAMABAD:
The country’s top army commanders have decided to extend all-out support to authorities in order to ensure free, fair and transparent parliamentary elections, scheduled for this spring.
The commanders discussed the military’s role in the upcoming general elections along with the current security situation at a meeting of corps commanders chaired by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Friday.
According to a security official, Gen Kayani briefed the corps commanders about his recent meetings with the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the National Database and Registration Authority chairman to evolve a strategy for providing military assistance to civilian authorities for the elections.
The meeting participants agreed that it was the armed forces’ duty to play their part in this regard, the official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
Keeping in mind the country’s volatile security situation and fears of rigging, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought the military’s support for the upcoming elections.
At a recent ECP meeting, CEC Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim said he wanted the deploy army troops at all polling stations across the country.
However, given the military’s preoccupation with the fight against militancy in the tribal areas, the army might not be able to spare enough manpower for the polls.
“We will provide all the necessary assistance to the ECP,” said another military official, but added that they have yet to decide how many troops would be spared for the elections. “Once we receive ECP’s final plan, we will decide accordingly,” he added.
According to him, despite the deployment of around 150,000 troops along the border with Afghanistan, the military will make sure the required troops are available for the elections.
The ECP has already engaged the military for the re-verification of voter lists in Karachi at the direction of the Supreme Court.
TTP’s truce offer
The corps commanders also discussed the recent truce offer by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In a video message delivered to media outlets recently, TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud said his group was willing to negotiate with the government. He, however, attached certain preconditions with the offer, which include rewriting the Constitution in accordance to Islamic law, breaking ties with the US and shifting focus back towards India from the war in Afghanistan.
According to military officials, the top commanders maintained it was too early to draw any conclusion from TTP’s offer. They agreed that the military offensive against their hideouts would continue and left it to the government to take a final decision whether to accept militants’ offer.
A brief statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the meeting undertook a comprehensive review of “routine professional matters and security environment in the country.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2013.
The country’s top army commanders have decided to extend all-out support to authorities in order to ensure free, fair and transparent parliamentary elections, scheduled for this spring.
The commanders discussed the military’s role in the upcoming general elections along with the current security situation at a meeting of corps commanders chaired by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Friday.
According to a security official, Gen Kayani briefed the corps commanders about his recent meetings with the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the National Database and Registration Authority chairman to evolve a strategy for providing military assistance to civilian authorities for the elections.
The meeting participants agreed that it was the armed forces’ duty to play their part in this regard, the official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
Keeping in mind the country’s volatile security situation and fears of rigging, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought the military’s support for the upcoming elections.
At a recent ECP meeting, CEC Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim said he wanted the deploy army troops at all polling stations across the country.
However, given the military’s preoccupation with the fight against militancy in the tribal areas, the army might not be able to spare enough manpower for the polls.
“We will provide all the necessary assistance to the ECP,” said another military official, but added that they have yet to decide how many troops would be spared for the elections. “Once we receive ECP’s final plan, we will decide accordingly,” he added.
According to him, despite the deployment of around 150,000 troops along the border with Afghanistan, the military will make sure the required troops are available for the elections.
The ECP has already engaged the military for the re-verification of voter lists in Karachi at the direction of the Supreme Court.
TTP’s truce offer
The corps commanders also discussed the recent truce offer by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In a video message delivered to media outlets recently, TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud said his group was willing to negotiate with the government. He, however, attached certain preconditions with the offer, which include rewriting the Constitution in accordance to Islamic law, breaking ties with the US and shifting focus back towards India from the war in Afghanistan.
According to military officials, the top commanders maintained it was too early to draw any conclusion from TTP’s offer. They agreed that the military offensive against their hideouts would continue and left it to the government to take a final decision whether to accept militants’ offer.
A brief statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the meeting undertook a comprehensive review of “routine professional matters and security environment in the country.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2013.