A police operation which will be complete in four to five months is ongoing in South Punjab’s rural areas, says Punjab IG
Punjab Inspector-General of Police Dr Usman Anwar Wednesday informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) approximately the viable security concerns round carrying out elections amid developing threats of terrorism in the province.
A day earlier, KP Police IG Moazzam Jah Ansari also communicated that the threat of terrorism cannot be ruled out at some stage in the approaching elections inside the province.
In a meeting presided over through Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, the Punjab IG stated: “A police operation, on the way to be complete in 4 to five months, is underway in South Punjab’s rural regions and different districts of the province.” The top police officer added that undertaking polls inside the province might be “a hard project” until the operation is concluded.
The Punjab IG informed the individuals of the assembly that 412,852 police personnel are required to conduct non violent elections. However, the Punjab police pressure accommodates a hundred and fifteen,000 policemen, he added.
IG Anwar said: “three hundred,000 more employees inside the force are required. Therefore, services of Pakistan Army and Rangers will be needed to meet this shortfall.”
He stated that due to earlier information, they averted 213 terror incidents considering December 2022. He added that they received news about feasible terrorist sports in almost all districts within the province.
He brought: “Hotspot districts on pinnacle of the listing include Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. Various terrorist businesses are found in Bhakkar, Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan. These corporations are frequently ‘fashioned’ comprising 20 to 30 those who arrive from Afghanistan and carry out terrorism.”
Rs42 billion needed to maintain law and order
On the alternative hand, Punjab chief secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman advised the ECP that the province wishes Rs42 billion to keep regulation and order all through the elections and additionally apprised the commission concerning the authorities’s financial difficulty.
He counseled the ECP conduct both the countrywide and provincial assemblies’ elections on the identical day. “If this isn’t always possible, then by means of-elections of the National Assembly and provincial meeting polls ought to be hung on the same day. If this isn’t finished, the expenditure on elections may be twofold. In this type of scenario, law enforcement organizations won’t be able to offer foolproof protection,” he added.
He additionally knowledgeable the members regarding initiating the preparation of a safety plan and installation of CCTV cameras across all the sensitive polling stations. “There is a critical danger of terrorism in the province.”
He brought that the month of Ramadan is arriving at some stage in elections wherein administrative officials have to make sure price manipulate and security preparations in mosques for worshippers. Security of rallies and gatherings also needs to be arranged amid polls, he in addition said.
“The census is being performed in March at some point of which administrative personnel, law enforcement officials and teachers can be busy. Meanwhile, examinations and the polio campaign will also be held on the identical time, so availability of group of workers might be difficult,” he said whilst explaining that officials are also assigned duties all through the season of buying wheat.
