ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formally submitted a request to the federal government on Monday, urging the deployment of personnel from the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces at polling stations for the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
The request, conveyed through a letter addressed to Federal Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani, cited Article 220 of the Constitution, emphasizing the duty of all executive authorities to support the ECP in fulfilling its functions.
In the letter, signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, a notable deficit of 277,558 security personnel required for the effective conduct of the general elections was disclosed.
Breaking down the current strength of police personnel versus the needed deployment for election purposes, the commission provided details obtained from the inspectors general of police of the four provinces and the federal capital of Islamabad.
Punjab, the most populous province in the country, currently boasts a police force of 108,500, contrasting with the required 277,610 security personnel for the election. Similarly, Sindh, the second-largest province, has 105,000 police personnel against the necessary 123,500 security officers.
Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), grappling with constant threats of terror attacks, report shortages of security personnel. Balochistan has 18,150 police officers compared to the required 31,919, while K-P has 93,260 police officers against the recommended strength of 149,077 security officers. Furthermore, Islamabad has 4,500 police officers available against the stipulated requirement of 9,000 security staff.
Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Imad Ullah Bosal engaged with ECP officials to discuss election-related matters, assuring that the funds required for elections would be disbursed within the next two days.
The delay in fund disbursement has triggered discussions about the potential deferment of the scheduled elections on February 8, 2024. The issue has drawn attention since the dissolution of legislatures, occurring three days before the completion of their five-year terms on August 9.
According to the Constitution, the ECP was obliged to conduct polls within 90 days following the dissolution of assemblies, effectively setting the deadline for November 10. However, the election body declared its inability to hold elections within the specified timeframe, needing to complete the delimitation process in view of the new population census notified in August.
On September 21, the ECP announced holding elections in the last week of January without specifying a date. After the Supreme Court directed the ECP to set the polling date, an agreement was reached on November 2 that the general elections would be held on February 8.
The ECP has received at least three petitions seeking postponement in elections on various grounds, including possible snowfall in northern areas in February. Additionally, a federal minister clarified on Monday that there was “no crisis” hindering funding for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) despite reports suggesting delays in fund release. Caretaker Minister for Information and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi assured that the government would release the budgeted amount needed by the ECP and expressed support for holding free and fair elections as mandated by the Constitution. The cabinet had approved Rs42 billion for the ECP’s budgetary requirements, with Rs10 billion already disbursed, and the ECP requested the release of Rs17.4 billion from the approved budget.
