Army to deploy 70,000 troops for election security: DG ISPR

Published May 2, 2013
DG ISPR Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa.— Photo by Reuters/File
DG ISPR Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa.— Photo by Reuters/File

RAWALPINDI: Director General of Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said on Thursday that at least 70,000 Armed forces personnel of would be deployed in the four provinces for election security, DawnNews reported.

Maj Gen Asim Bajwa made the announcement during a press conference held at the Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi adding that the military would ensure security on the polling day and a security monitoring cell would be established at the GHQ in this regards.

DG ISPR further said that Rangers operations in Karachi to continue in order to ensure security, whereas Rangers, FC and police would guard people at the polling stations.

Moreover Army aviation would also provide air cover using 50 helicopters across the country on May 11.

Apart from these troops, thousands of other personnel would be on stand-by as part of quick response forces in case any security situation arises.

Deployment in Balochistan province was complete whereas troops were to be deployed in Khyber Pakhtubnkhwa, Karachi and other parts of Sindh and Punjab in the coming days.

Army would also provide the logistics for taking the ballot papers from the printing press to the polling stations and handing over the District Returning Officers (DRO)s.

Military troops were also already deployed in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to provide security for the printing of ballot papers which started from April 19.

The government has requested the deployment of troops under Article 248 of the Constitution in the wake of worsening slaw and orders in the country.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...