Pre-poll anxiety: 50% polling stations in city sensitive

Additional IG Shaikh makes dire electoral predictions on his last day in office .

KARACHI:

Additional IG Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh has declared 50 per cent of the polling stations in Karachi as sensitive areas.

“Political tensions are expected in 50 per cent of the 3,700 to 4,000 polling stations to be set up in the city,” he predicted, while speaking to the media at a three-day-long seminar which began on Monday. The seminar was organised by Sindh police and International Labour Organisation to train 50 policemen in handling the law and order situation in Karachi. Monday was also Additional IG Shaikh’s last day in office.

He explained that all those areas of Karachi where two or more parties had strong support had been declared sensitive. “A comprehensive security plan has been prepared to ensure that the elections are transparent,” he added. “Police officials and Rangers will be deployed in all the polling stations in the city and will be available at a moment’s notice if tensions erupt anywhere.”

He also mentioned that all the polling stations in district west have been declared sensitive due to the presence of members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in the area.

Political prophesies

Former MNA Nabeel Gabol has prophesised that there will be a terrorist attack in Karachi that will result in the elections being postponed.



“The blast might occur in a few days,” he predicted, while speaking to the media at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, on Monday.

He mentioned that he requested the election commission to deploy army in Lyari to ensure that the elections were free and fair.

New security plans

Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad has asked police and law enforcement agencies to constitute local committees of elders to assist with controlling the law and order situation in sensitive areas of Karachi during elections. He was speaking while chairing a meeting at Governor House on Monday.

“Intelligence reports suggest the possibility of widespread terrorist and criminals activities during the election campaign and on the day of polls,” said Sindh IG Shahid Nadeem Baloch, who also attended the meeting. “Due to the shortage of police personnel, law enforcement agencies cannot guarantee complete security to every candidate contesting the elections.”

IG Baloch requested the governor allow the police to call back retired police officers and to hire private security guards to help out on the election day. A number of eminent officials, including the secretary of the home department, Muhammad Wasim, and Karachi Commissioner Hashim Raza Zaidi attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2013.