By-polls security: Army chief thanked for sparing troops

CEC says devotion to duty is hallmark of Pakistan Army

ISLAMABAD: The chief election commissioner (CEC) has thanked the army chief for assisting the top poll supervisory body in organising the October 11 by-elections.

On the demand of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Election Commission of Pakistan had requested Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif to spare some soldiers for security duties in and outside polling stations.

The by-elections for the National Assembly’s NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-144 (Okara) constituencies and for the Punjab Assembly’s PP-147 (Lahore) seat were largely conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, even though the security agencies had expressed apprehensions ahead of the polls.

In his letter to the army chief, CEC Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan said deployment of the soldiers had assisted the polling body in fulfilling its constitutional obligation: to hold free, fair and transparent elections in an effective manner.

“The way the army officers and jawaans came out with flying colours in conducting the by-elections is, no doubt, a matter of great satisfaction for the ECP and the whole nation,” he wrote.

“Furthermore, there is no denying the fact that professionalism and devotion to duty is the hallmark of the Pakistan Army and, of course, it is an apt reflection of the institution and its courageous leadership,” the ECP’s media wing quoted the CEC as saying.

He asked Gen Raheel to convey his heartfelt feelings to the office of the Director General of Military Operations and all the formations concerned for making foolproof arrangements for the by-elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2015.