ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti said on Tuesday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would have “full security” for holding the upcoming polls in a peaceful environment.
In an interview with a private news channel, the interim minister said the caretaker government would take necessary steps to provide all required facilities to ECP for conducting polls in a transparent manner.
The minister’s comments came after the ECP sought the Pakistan Army’s help in ensuring the law-and-order situation for the general elections — slated to take place on 8 February 2024.
During polls, the security situation is a serious concern for the authorities, and to ensure that nothing goes south, law enforcement authorities are deployed at polling stations, and they are also on patrol.
The ECP has informed the interior ministry that it faces a total shortfall of over 270,000 police personnel, prompting it to request the army’s help “in static mode”.
Political Parties Worry About Security Situation
Some political parties have also raised concerns over the security situation, wondering whether it was feasible to hold polls or not, but the electoral watchdog has clarified that it intended to stage the polls on 8 February next year.
In the interview, Bugti also told political parties to cooperate with law enforcement agencies before arranging any public or corner meeting for their election campaign.
The caretaker interior minister added that timely information about public gatherings or meetings would assist security institutions in making better arrangements for them.
Commenting on rising terrorism incidents in different parts of the country, the minister said that the LEAs were fully alert to control the menace of terrorism.
Bugti said enemies are trying to sabotage the peaceful environment of the country, but the security institutions are taking all possible measures to defeat terrorism in a befitting manner.
