The final stage: Govt spells out holistic security plan
Control room established to monitor polling activities, deploy helicopters.
According to Qadeem, 10 security personnel will be stationed at highly sensitive polling stations, six at sensitive and four at regular polling stations. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on Tuesday said they have established a control room in Peshawar where officials from health, home and tribal affairs departments along with the district government will monitor activities on Election Day.
The said station would also be used to deploy helicopters in case of any emergency on May 11.
Briefing the media after a provincial cabinet meeting, Minister for Information, Education and Social Welfare Musarrat Qadeem said they have finalised preparations and will provide ‘foolproof’ security at polling stations.
CCTV cameras would also be installed in sensitive polling stations across the province to monitor the process closely. According to Qadeem, 10 security personnel will be stationed at highly sensitive polling stations, six at sensitive and four at regular polling stations.
“As we have a shortage of female police officers, we are taking the help of Lady Health Workers who will be trained to assist the police on Election Day. More than 1,600 security personnel have been provided to 267 candidates for their security in the province.”
A total of 85,000 personnel are needed to provide security for elections and the current strength of the police force in K-P is 79,000. The remaining 6,000 would be Pakistan Army men.
The minister for information informed journalists approximately 15 to 20 polling stations would be considered one “cluster”. One Quick Response Force team per cluster will be responsible to deal with any given emergency.
A complaint cell has also been established in the information department in collaboration with the Free and Fair Election Network. People can inform the cell if they see any problems, and the cell would forward the message to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
It was decided deputy commissioners, commissioners and district police officers would visit various polling stations in their respective areas to monitor polling more efficiently.
Qadeem told the media 163 vehicles had been provided to district returning officers while Rs60,000 have been released to each district across K-P. There will be 135 monitoring teams across the province.
The security of international observers is also the provincial government’s duty, according to Qadeem, and the observers were advised to visit less risky polling stations.
“The caretaker provincial government decided in the cabinet meeting that the provincial information department, through media, will make the general public aware about using their vote and playing an active part on May 11,” stated the minister for information.
“All educational institutions will remain closed from May 9 to 12 while government departments will be closed on May 10 and 11, not including departments which deal with emergency situations like the police, Rescue 1122 and municipal organisations,” explained Qadeem.
“Though some education department staff has refused to perform their election duties in other provinces, K-P has not received any such information,” she said in response to a question.
Qadeem maintained there would be no load-shedding starting May 9 till May 11. In addition, the duration of power outages would be reduced starting Tuesday.
She went on to condemn the attacks on political rallies in Dir and Kohat, adding it was the right of every leader to reach out to voters.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on Tuesday said they have established a control room in Peshawar where officials from health, home and tribal affairs departments along with the district government will monitor activities on Election Day.
The said station would also be used to deploy helicopters in case of any emergency on May 11.
Briefing the media after a provincial cabinet meeting, Minister for Information, Education and Social Welfare Musarrat Qadeem said they have finalised preparations and will provide ‘foolproof’ security at polling stations.
CCTV cameras would also be installed in sensitive polling stations across the province to monitor the process closely. According to Qadeem, 10 security personnel will be stationed at highly sensitive polling stations, six at sensitive and four at regular polling stations.
“As we have a shortage of female police officers, we are taking the help of Lady Health Workers who will be trained to assist the police on Election Day. More than 1,600 security personnel have been provided to 267 candidates for their security in the province.”
A total of 85,000 personnel are needed to provide security for elections and the current strength of the police force in K-P is 79,000. The remaining 6,000 would be Pakistan Army men.
The minister for information informed journalists approximately 15 to 20 polling stations would be considered one “cluster”. One Quick Response Force team per cluster will be responsible to deal with any given emergency.
A complaint cell has also been established in the information department in collaboration with the Free and Fair Election Network. People can inform the cell if they see any problems, and the cell would forward the message to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
It was decided deputy commissioners, commissioners and district police officers would visit various polling stations in their respective areas to monitor polling more efficiently.
Qadeem told the media 163 vehicles had been provided to district returning officers while Rs60,000 have been released to each district across K-P. There will be 135 monitoring teams across the province.
The security of international observers is also the provincial government’s duty, according to Qadeem, and the observers were advised to visit less risky polling stations.
“The caretaker provincial government decided in the cabinet meeting that the provincial information department, through media, will make the general public aware about using their vote and playing an active part on May 11,” stated the minister for information.
“All educational institutions will remain closed from May 9 to 12 while government departments will be closed on May 10 and 11, not including departments which deal with emergency situations like the police, Rescue 1122 and municipal organisations,” explained Qadeem.
“Though some education department staff has refused to perform their election duties in other provinces, K-P has not received any such information,” she said in response to a question.
Qadeem maintained there would be no load-shedding starting May 9 till May 11. In addition, the duration of power outages would be reduced starting Tuesday.
She went on to condemn the attacks on political rallies in Dir and Kohat, adding it was the right of every leader to reach out to voters.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.