“Afghan refugees’ movement would be banned completely on Election Day and they would not be allowed
to leave their camps,” said a police official requesting anonymity. PHOTO: FILE
In the final security plans for May 11, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), provincial government, district administration and the police have decided to restrict the movement of registered Afghan refugees to their camps on Election Day.
“Around 3,000 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel have been provided to the police [for election security] across the province, in addition to the 65 platoons of FC already deployed at police stations, pushing the total number of FC men close to 6,000,” an FC official told The Express Tribune.
The Islamabad FC had demanded 800 additional men, but they were not able to send them more than 300 men, explained the official. “A comprehensive security plan has been finalised, but it is a secret official document.”
“Afghan refugees’ movement would be banned completely on Election Day and they would not be allowed to leave their camps,” said a police official requesting anonymity. Additional police contingents, Frontier Reserve Police, and the army are also being deployed, he added.
The army is being deployed in areas with potential security threats and as a first step 200 army personnel have been assigned to Mattani and Badhaber police stations to stop militant incursions into the settled district from Akka Khel, Khyber Agency.
Similarly, 98 men from the armed forces have been deployed to Mathra police station and more deployments are being carried out on the outskirts of Peshawar.
“The army has started patrolling Telaband, Surizai and Badhaber and their deployment in militancy-hit areas would be complete in the next few days,” informed the police official. He maintained direct deployment of the army in polling stations is unlikely, but they would remain in police stations in suburban areas, ready to be called in.
“The police demanded seven men – an ASI in-charge and six constables – to be assigned at the ‘most sensitive polling stations’ but this is highly difficult because of the shortage of men. In the end it has been decided six men would be sent to the most sensitive polling stations, five to sensitive and two men each to the rest of the polling stations,” explained the official.
“There are entire districts, including Peshawar, Bannu, Hangu, Kohat, which have been declared ‘most sensitive’. Special arrangements are being made to ensure peace on Election Day with the help of the Pakistan Army.”
He added the army would not be deployed in police stations in the city and cantonment but would be available on short notice in case of an emergency.
Under the security plan, foreign journalists would also be assigned protective details.
There are no official figures for the total number of boots on ground in K-P. However, due to ongoing militancy in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, there are army check posts dotting the border between K-P and the tribal belt.
When contacted, security officials told The Express Tribune the army was already present in K-P’s cantonment areas in the provincial capital, DI Khan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu and Swat.
Security officials said fresh deployments will also be made to Mattani, Pishtakhara and other adjoining areas. Ballot papers for Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera and Khyber Agency reportedly reached Peshawar on Monday, according to the officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
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