KARACHI: Army should be deployed in the city to ensure that the PS-94 by-poll elections are carried out safely, advised Chief Election Commission Justice (retired) Hamid Mirza at a meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was held at the office of the provincial election commission to review the arrangements made for the Sindh Assembly by-polls, scheduled for October 17.
The meeting was attended by Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Fayaz Leghari, Acting Sindh Chief Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha, Special Home Secretary, DIG Headquarters and Rangers personnel, provincial election commissioner Sono Khan Baloch and others.
It was decided at the meeting that political campaigning will be prohibited from midnight October 15 in PS-94, Orangi Town. PS-94 fell vacant upon the murder of MQM MPA Raza Haider.
Mirza advised that strict security measures should be taken in Orangi on the day of the elections. He recommended extra patrolling to prevent any untoward incident. He further said that women police should be deputed for women’s booths and exit and entry points must be examined.
The meeting vowed to ensure proper security measures so that voters will be able to cast their votes in a peaceful environment. They decided to increase the number of law-enforcement personnel at polling stations. There will be 16 policemen, including one officer, at each station in addition to Rangers personnel as well.
The meeting was told that 22 polling stations out of 86 have been declared “very sensitive” while 64 have been termed “sensitive”.
The total population of the area is about 244,000 and registered voters are around 133,000. The total number of polling booths is 287, out of which 162 are for males and 125 are for female voters.
CCPO Karachi told the meeting that they have deployed 3,000 police personnel along with Rangers in different parts of the town.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza reiterated that “extraordinary measures” were being taken for the election day. He said that police has been directed to start snap checking and patrolling in the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2010.
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