Army, Rangers to be deployed at polling stations

ECP restores PML-N MNA Siddique Baloch’s membership

ISLAMABAD: Election authorities said on Thursday that army and paramilitary officials would be deployed in and outside polling stations for the Punjab by-elections this month.

An Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) statement said that to assist polling staff conduct elections in a free, fair and transparent manner, officials of the army and Rangers would be deployed a day before the polls.

The electoral body said the officials would “patrol/flag march in NA-144 (Okara-II), NA-122 (Lahore-V), PP-147 (Lahore-XI) and PP-16 (Attock-II) before, on and after the by-polls until midnight, following the consolidation of results by returning officers”.

On the request of the returning officers and the Punjab election commissioner, the ECP had asked the defence and interior ministries to spare troops for the by-polls scheduled for October 6 and October 11. The ECP decided that necessary arrangements for providing security would be made by army and paramilitary officials.

Commanding officers of army and Rangers deployed in the constituencies have also been delegated special powers of a first-class magistrate which they could exercise on the day of the polls.

Membership restored

Following the Supreme Court’s stay order, the ECP has restored the membership of Muhammad Siddique Khan Baloch, a National Assembly member from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

An election tribunal had disqualified Baloch on a petition filed against him by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jehangir Khan Tareen.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2015.