ISPR says COAS visite\u00add Army Electi\u00adons Suppor\u00adt Centre
\nnews desk
\nRAWALPINDI
\nChief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Thursday directed the army to \u201cassist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) strictly within the bounds of given mandate\u201d for the conduct of General Election 2018, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
\nThe COAS said so during his visit to the Army Elections Support Center, Rawalpindi on Thursday.
\nDuring the visit, General Bajwa was given a detailed briefing about plan for provision of assistance to the ECP for free, fair and transparent conduct of forthcoming elections.
\n\u201cThe COAS directed that Army shall assist [the] ECP strictly within the bounds of given mandate and as per [the] ECP\u2019s code of conduct,\u201d the ISPR said in a statement.
\nThe army chief said that working in synchronisation with other elements of security apparatus, all efforts be put in to ensure secure and safe environment, enabling people of Pakistan to freely exercise their democratic right.
\nThe ECP has decided to deploy army personnel inside and around polling stations to ensure security during the polls.
\nThe general election is scheduled in the country for July 25, for which electioneering by political parties has been in full swing.
\n\u2018Only working to improve security situation\u2019
\nA representative of the General Headquarters (GHQ), the headquarters of Pakistan Army, informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Thursday that troops were only involved in improving the security situation.
\nAddressing the committee\u2019s meeting today, the army\u2019s representative said, \u201cWe are only working to improve the security situation on the instructions of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP),\u201d adding that troops were liable to follow the electoral body\u2019s code of conduct.
\nThe GHQ representative further said that the armed forces had always lent support to civil institutions.
\nResponding to Senator Kulsoom Parveen\u2019s question as to how many troops will be sent to Balochistan, the armed forces\u2019 representative said deployment of troops will be made as required.
\n\u201cWe have assessed areas for their security needs. Planning of the security arrangements should be left on us. We know how many troops are to be deployed in different areas,\u201d he said.
\nThe GHQ representative also clarified that there was no hindrance in communication with the electoral body.
\n\u2018Troops will work under presiding officers\u2019
\nECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob apprised the committee that army troops will not work independently during the July 25 election.
\nAddressing the committee\u2019s meeting, the ECP secretary said an impression exists that the troops will work independently. Yaqoob clarified that the army personnel deployed across the country on July 25 will work under presiding officers.
\nHe further stated that a written code of conduct was in place to this effect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISPR says COAS visite\u00add Army Electi\u00adons Suppor\u00adt Centre news desk RAWALPINDI Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Thursday directed the army to \u201cassist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) strictly within the bounds of given mandate\u201d for the conduct of General Election 2018, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The COAS said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28683","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n