Sindh, Punjab to call troops for for local council Polls
Pakistan Times National News Desk

KARACHI: Sindh provincial administration has declared several places sensitive in the province during the local bodies polls and called military help for law and order.

Provincial Home Secretary Brig. (Retd.) Ghulam Mohammed Mohtarim informed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in a meeting.

The meeting held at Sindh Assembly building to review arrangements for the holding of local government elections 2005 was attended by the I. G. Sindh, District and Sessions judges/ DROs and senior officials of the provincial government.

Provincial home secretary said over 95,000 personnel of the police, Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and private guards will hold responsibility of the law and order in the province and 150 video cameras will be installed at various places in the province.

District Returning Officer of Sukkur informed the CEC about tribal clashes in district Sukkur and asked for deployment of heavy contingents of the police or military in the district during the polls.

DRO Hyderabad told the Chief Election Commissioner that teachers have refused to join election duties at various polling stations in Hyderabad and Tando Allahyar.

Provincial home secretary said two police helicopters will patrol during the polling, while the authorities have also requested the military for more helicopters.

Police and paramilitary forces will start patrolling in the province from August-10.

Sensitive districts in Punjab

Meanwhile, a report from Lahore says that the government of Punjab has declared six districts of the province i.e. Lahore, Rawaipindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Multan to be the most sensitive areas during the local council election and called the troops.

The government has decided to call troops and requisitioned military to maintain law and order during the local bodies polls, Punjab Home Secretary Hassan Wasim Afzal told Geo.

The military will arrive in these six sensitive districts on August-10.

Police and Punjab Constabulary personnel will be deployed at the polling stations in the province, however in case of law and order deterioration at a polling station or its surrounding area, the military will take the charge, provincial home secretary said.

The situation in remaining 29 districts of the province was under control and troops were not called for those districts, he said, however if needed troops will be called in any district.●