Security plan finalised for Bahawalpur district

BAHAWALPUR:

As many as 1.64 million people (914,212 men and 727,429 women) will use their right of vote in Bahawalpur district on December 5.

There are 3,274 candidates for seats in 127 union councils of the district council. As many as 33 candidates have been elected unopposed. Of the 33, there are three panels for chairman and vice chairman seats.

Polling will take place at 1255 polling stations – 835 of these are for men and women both.

The ECP has deputed 23 returning officers, 46 assistant returning officers, 1045 male presiding officers, 210 female presiding officers, 3,785 assistant polling officers (male), and 3,185 assistant polling officers (female) for polling day duties.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Bahawalpur DPO Sarfraz Ahmad Falki said that a security plan for the polling day had been finalised. He said the district police had identified polling stations where there could be a law and order problem on the polling day. Under the plan, he said polling stations had been divided into three categories: extremely sensitive (Category A), sensitive (Category B) and There are 60 polling stations in Category A, 110 in Category B and the remaining in Category C.

The DPO said that polling activity at the Category A polling stations would be monitored through surveillance cameras installed on the premises. He said assembly of five or more non-voters would be prohibited within 300 metre of the polling stations.

Falki said political parties and independents would be allowed to set up polling camps at least 300 meters away from the polling stations.

He said police teams had been directed to search the offices and vehicles in use of all contestants for weapons which could be used for celebratory firing.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2015.