ISLAMABAD: As the February 8 elections approach, the Ministry of Interior submitted a summary seeking the army’s deployment for security during the polls.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had requested the deployment of 277,000 army personnel across the country to ensure security and maintain law and order for the 126 million voters who will choose their representatives next month.
Amidst 2023 being one of the worst years in terms of terror-related incidents since 2015, concerns loom over the security and safety of both candidates and voters in the upcoming polls.
Despite several violent incidents and attacks on candidates, political parties continue their electioneering efforts to woo voters. However, some politicians have expressed concerns over the law and order situation, with some even seeking a delay in the polls.
Earlier this month, independent candidate Kaleemullah Khan, aiming to contest polls for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s PK-104, was shot dead in North Waziristan. Shortly after, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Shah Khalid was also killed in Swabi by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle.
Other leaders, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Aslam Buledi, National Democratic Movement’s (NDM) Mohsin Dawar, National Party’s Lala Abdul Rasheed, and Senator Kohda Akram Dashti, have also attacked in the ongoing month.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, recognizing the precarious situation, has formed a high-level committee to oversee security for the polls. The Pakistan Army has pledged necessary military assistance for the upcoming general elections.
Notably, Pakistan Army soldiers, along with Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel, will perform election duties following the approval of the Interior Ministry’s summary by the caretaker federal cabinet.
The decision to involve the army in polls stems from an acute shortage of security personnel, with Punjab, the election battleground, facing a shortage of 92,000 security personnel at polling stations. In Karachi, the police are grappling with a shortage of 14,300 security personnel, including female officers.
