ECP to go ahead with by-polls despite flood, security concerns
Pakistan army being deployed outside a total of 2,686 polling stations declared ‘sensitive’.
Army officials standing at the gate of a polling station during by-elections in PS-128 in Karachi. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to go ahead with polling in all 42 constituencies on August 22, 2013 despite floods and security concerns in some areas.
During a meeting at the ECP central secretariat, headed by the acting chief election commissioner Justice Tassadiq Hussain Jilani, it was finally decided to hold by-polls in all constituencies as some requests for postponement were turned down.
Sources privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that deputy commissioner in Jhal Magsi, Balochistan had requested for the postponement of by-polls for Balochistan assembly seat PB-32 due to the recent floods. His request had been endorsed by the provincial election commissioner.
Chief secretary Balochistan opposed the postponement saying that out of the 60 polling stations set-up in the constituency, only four had been inundated and that the water was receding from those stations too.
Officials of the Pakistan Meterological office and NDMA told the meeting that there were no chances of further wide spread rains in those areas till August 22.
“There were requests for postponement in Jhal Magsi, but we have decided to go ahead with polls there. If need arises, we would relocate the affected polling stations” secretary ECP told reporters after the meeting.
During the meeting, Secretary Defence had serious apprehensions over holding elections amidst threats in the NA-25 constituency in Dera Ismail Khan where recently a jail break had happened.
Chief secretary K-P, opposing the defence secretary, said that elections should not be postponed. He added that security threats were everywhere in the country and officials cannot bow before terrorists. Similar threats were prevalent in Lakki Marwat and other areas, he said.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who had been representing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the meeting was also against the postponement of polls in any of the constituencies due to security reasons.
He was also of the opinion that if any such situation arose, the polling could be stopped at any time during the polling day.
Army to be deployed at most sensitive polling stations
With Pakistan army being deployed outside a total of 2,686 polling stations declared ‘sensitive’, the officer incharge of the security will have powers of magistrate first class.
The ECP on Monday extended similar powers to the officer incharge of the Rangers and FC deployed at polling stations.
It is the first time in the parliamentary history of the country that such powers have been given to officers of the security forces.
The election authorities have also declared another 1,840 polling stations as being ‘most sensitive’ and have decided to deploy army in and outside all such stations.
For the 42 constituencies, of which 16 national and 26 provincial assemblies will go for by-polls, a total of 7,606 polling stations will be set up. A total of 3,080 stations among them have been marked as normal while the rest fall under the categories of ‘sensitive’ and ‘most sensitive’.
Most of these constituencies were vacated by the members who had been elected from more than one constituencies or where the polling was postponed due to the death of a contestant during the May 11 general elections.
Under the new security procedure laid down in a notification issued on Monday, if security officials deployed at the polling stations saw any irregularity inside or outside of a polling station, they would first inform the presiding officer concerned.
In case the presiding officer does not act, the security staff would immediately bring the matter to the designated officer incharge of security in that area who could use powers of a magistrate first-class on the polling day.
[tableau name="Electionresults2002-2008/Electionresultdashboard" static_image=" https://public.tableausoftware.com/static/images/El/Electionresults2002-2008/Electionresultdashboard/1_rss.png"]
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to go ahead with polling in all 42 constituencies on August 22, 2013 despite floods and security concerns in some areas.
During a meeting at the ECP central secretariat, headed by the acting chief election commissioner Justice Tassadiq Hussain Jilani, it was finally decided to hold by-polls in all constituencies as some requests for postponement were turned down.
Sources privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that deputy commissioner in Jhal Magsi, Balochistan had requested for the postponement of by-polls for Balochistan assembly seat PB-32 due to the recent floods. His request had been endorsed by the provincial election commissioner.
Chief secretary Balochistan opposed the postponement saying that out of the 60 polling stations set-up in the constituency, only four had been inundated and that the water was receding from those stations too.
Officials of the Pakistan Meterological office and NDMA told the meeting that there were no chances of further wide spread rains in those areas till August 22.
“There were requests for postponement in Jhal Magsi, but we have decided to go ahead with polls there. If need arises, we would relocate the affected polling stations” secretary ECP told reporters after the meeting.
During the meeting, Secretary Defence had serious apprehensions over holding elections amidst threats in the NA-25 constituency in Dera Ismail Khan where recently a jail break had happened.
Chief secretary K-P, opposing the defence secretary, said that elections should not be postponed. He added that security threats were everywhere in the country and officials cannot bow before terrorists. Similar threats were prevalent in Lakki Marwat and other areas, he said.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who had been representing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the meeting was also against the postponement of polls in any of the constituencies due to security reasons.
He was also of the opinion that if any such situation arose, the polling could be stopped at any time during the polling day.
Army to be deployed at most sensitive polling stations
With Pakistan army being deployed outside a total of 2,686 polling stations declared ‘sensitive’, the officer incharge of the security will have powers of magistrate first class.
The ECP on Monday extended similar powers to the officer incharge of the Rangers and FC deployed at polling stations.
It is the first time in the parliamentary history of the country that such powers have been given to officers of the security forces.
The election authorities have also declared another 1,840 polling stations as being ‘most sensitive’ and have decided to deploy army in and outside all such stations.
For the 42 constituencies, of which 16 national and 26 provincial assemblies will go for by-polls, a total of 7,606 polling stations will be set up. A total of 3,080 stations among them have been marked as normal while the rest fall under the categories of ‘sensitive’ and ‘most sensitive’.
Most of these constituencies were vacated by the members who had been elected from more than one constituencies or where the polling was postponed due to the death of a contestant during the May 11 general elections.
Under the new security procedure laid down in a notification issued on Monday, if security officials deployed at the polling stations saw any irregularity inside or outside of a polling station, they would first inform the presiding officer concerned.
In case the presiding officer does not act, the security staff would immediately bring the matter to the designated officer incharge of security in that area who could use powers of a magistrate first-class on the polling day.
[tableau name="Electionresults2002-2008/Electionresultdashboard" static_image=" https://public.tableausoftware.com/static/images/El/Electionresults2002-2008/Electionresultdashboard/1_rss.png"]