QUETTA: Armed forces were deployed in nine sensitive districts of Balochistan to ensure peaceful and uninterrupted elections in the sparsely populated province of the country on Monday.
Sources in Provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department told Dawn.come that army personnel were deployed in Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Awaran, Washuk, Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Kharan and Gwadar districts.
Sources said personnel of the Army and FC would be stationed in 30 districts across Balochistan and the troops would be deployed on the polling stations until May 15, who were at the disposal of interim civilian government to ensure smooth and peaceful polls in Balochistan.
Balochistan Government decided to deploy armed forces and para-military troops in all sensitive districts of the province following rise in attacks on political leaders, candidates and their election offices.
Apart from army and frontier corps, thousands of levies, Balochistan Constabulary and police men were also deployed in all thirty districts of the province including the provincial capital Quetta.
Home Department sources confirmed that around 50,000 Balochistan Constabulary, Police and Levies were also deployed in thirty districts of province. The sources said more than 22,000 military and para-military troops were being deployed in Balochistan.
The Army and FC began troop deployment on Sunday in the districts of Balchistan which were declared as sensitive and the first contingent of the Pakistan Army departed from Quetta to Mastung in this regards.
Moreover fears of election delay in Balochistan kept mounting after the provincial lecturers joined on Monday the boycott called earlier by Balochistan Government Teachers Association.
A government delegation met with the Teachers Association members and following deliberations between the two sides the Teachers association decided to perform election duties in only two out of 12 sensitive districts of Balochistan.
The teachers body decided to perform duties in Lasbella and Chagai districts.
The BGAT has sent a letter to the provincial governor and Balochistan’s interim chief minister on looming threats to the lives of teachers during elections in the province.
The letter said the teachers continue to receive threats in 11 districts of the province, including Kalat, Mastung, Kech, Khuzdar , Noshki and other districts and that in such situations the teachers would be unable to perform election duties.
