PESHAWAR: The residents of the provincial capital will exercise their franchise tomorrow amid tight security with the police deploying 7,754 personnel across the city to ensure peace.

A statement issued here said the city police had made a security plan for the protection of 1,190 polling stations, including 650 for men and 540 for women.

Besides deploying a large number of personnel, the police will also monitor security situation around polling stations by drone cameras.

Of the polling stations, 366 have been declared normal, 549 sensitive and 275 most sensitive.

It said the police would deploy personnel polling stations and set up special checkpoints at the exit and entry points of the city, while the ‘rider squad mobile units’ would patrol the city roads.

Police to deploy over 7,700 cops in city, monitor situation around polling stations by drone cameras

The armoured personnel carriers will be deployed at important and sensitive installations on the polling day to ensure security, while all polling stations will be checked by the bomb disposal unit and sniffer dogs.

The police have also made a special SMS alert system to ensure good security with all officers linked to it for the instant issuance of alert through text message in case of emergency.

Under the plan, besides the police and Pakistan army, the services of volunteers will be been acquired for the election day security.

SSP (operations) Peshawar Javed Iqbal said the policemen protecting polling stations would search people before allowing them access to the premises stations and won’t allow unauthorised personnel to enter there.

City police Chief Qazi Jamilur Rehman asked the people to cooperate with the law- enforcement agencies on polling day and said the people should immediately inform the police about any suspect or suspicious package.

Also in the day, Peshawar deputy commissioner Imran Hamid Shaikh said the district administration had finalised plans for smooth polling day.

He told reporters at the opening of the district control room here that the police and Pakistan Army personnel would be on duty to ensure security on the polling day.

Mr Shaikh He said the CCTV cameras had been installed at sensitive polling stations, while the administration had established 15 offices across the city with the representatives of the Pakistan Army, police and district administration being present there.

He said the district administration staff had also been given training about the Election Commission of Pakistan code of conduct.

The DC said that district administration had banned the display and carrying of arms and tinted glass under Section 144 due to security reasons.

He said the district administration was fully prepared to cope with any untoward situation.

Also, the city’s two major hospitals, including Lady Reading Hospital and Khyber Teaching Hospital, said they were fully prepared to meet any emergency.

In a statement issued here, the LRH said it had set up two control rooms, while all staff members would be on duty round the clock to cope with any eventuality.

A KTH statement said an emergency control room had been established in accident and emergency department.

It said the hospital had reserved 150 beds for emergency besides beds in intensive care units and four beds in every unit.

The statement said the hospital had ensured the availability of all types of blood, especially rare ones, for the polling day while forensic department staff would be available for autopsy.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2018