The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday requested the federal government for the deployment of the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces’ personnel at the polling stations during the general elections, scheduled to be held on February 8.
The request, made through a letter addressed to Federal Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani, invoked Article 220 of the Constitution, emphasising the duty of all executive authorities to support the ECP in fulfilling its functions.
The letter, signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, disclosed a significant shortfall of 267,558 security personnel required for the effective conduct of the general elections.
Breaking down the current strength of police personnel versus the necessary deployment for election purposes, the commission provided details sourced from the inspector generals of police of provinces and Islamabad.
The most populous province, Punjab, currently has 108,500 police officials in contrast to the required 277,610 security personnel. Similarly, Sindh, the second-largest province, boasts 105,000 police personnel against the necessary 123,500 security officers.
The provinces of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), facing constant threats of terror attacks and recent incidents targeting security personnel and civilians, are also grappling with a shortage of security forces.
Balochistan reports 18,150 police officers compared to the required 31,919 security personnel, while K-P has 93,260 police officers against the recommended strength of 149,077 security officers.
Furthermore, the capital city Islamabad has 4,500 police officers available against the stipulated requirement of 9,000 security staff.
No comment