By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan, the body responsible for overseeing the country’s upcoming general elections, has asked the government on Tuesday to deploy the army and civil armed forces outside polling stations to ensure security and to release Rs17 billion in funds urgently needed for the conduct of the February polls.
The commission said it faced a shortfall of more than 277,000 police personnel across the country and that it needed the military and paramilitary forces to ensure security and smooth elections on Feb. 8, 2023.
The request came amid a fragile security situation in the country, where militant attacks and political violence have marred previous elections.
“Keeping in view the deficiency of police personnel indicated by the provinces and the federal capital, the Election Commission of Pakistan has decided that in view of the clear shortfall of 277,558 personnel, the services of Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAFs) shall have to be requisitioned in static mode in terms of Article 220 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the polling stations to ensure smooth elections, the ECP said in a letter to interior ministry. “This is all the more relevant in the context of fragile security cum law-and-order situation prevalent in the country.”
“….the availability of Pak Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAFs) may be ensured both in static and in QRF mode to fill the shortfall of security personnel and necessary confirmation to this affect may be furnished at the earliest but not later than 7th December 2023 for presentation before the Hon’ble Commission.”
The letter said the ECP takes all necessary steps to organise an election under the Constitution and the relevant election laws, it also expects the same commitment from the executive authorities and law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order in the area of the constituencies during the conduct of elections.
“The ECP will be issuing the election programme shortly which would facilitate the working of the Ministry of Interior. Keeping in view the exigency of the matter, the ECP sought instant report from the IGPs regarding requirement, and availability and to indicate the shortfall of police personnel for ensuring fool-proof security arrangements and peaceful conduct of forthcoming elections.”
FUNDS
The commission, which is responsible for organizing the polls, said it had asked for Rs51 billion from the finance ministry, but had only received Rs15 billion so far.
The ECP said it urgently needed another Rs17 billion to conduct the election on Feb. 8, 2023, and warned of a delay in the disbursement of funds.
A finance ministry official said the funds would be released in the next few days, and that the remaining Rs32 billion would be disbursed in phases as per the commission’s needs.
“The funds are most likely to be released today,” the official said, adding that the finance secretary had assured the commission of the timely release of funds. “Rs17 billion are urgently needed for holding the general elections on February 8, which he (secretary) has promised to release urgently.”
The commission had summoned the finance secretary on Tuesday to explain the delay and had also planned to write to the caretaker prime minister to seek his intervention.
Pakistan is due to hold a general election on Feb. 8, 2023, to elect a new parliament and government for the next five years.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
