\u2018Free and fair\u2019 general election
\nECP seeks 277,000 soldiers to perform election duties over security, law and order concerns
\nISLAMABAD
\nWith the February 8 elections drawing near, the Ministry of Interior Tuesday remitted its summary regarding the deployment of the armed forces during the upcoming polls.
\nThe development comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought 277,000 army personnel to be deployed across the country to maintain security, and law and order situation across the country whose 126 million voters will choose their representatives next month.<\/p>\n
126m voters will choose their representatives next month<\/strong><\/p>\n With the year 2023 culminating as one of the worst, since 2015, in terms of terror-related incidents, the country\u2019s upcoming polls are surrounded by doubts over the security and safety of both candidates and voters. Several politicians have voiced concerns over the law and order situation \u2014 with some even moving the Senate seeking poll delay in this regard<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2018Free and fair\u2019 general election ECP seeks 277,000 soldiers to perform election duties over security, law and order concerns ISLAMABAD With the February 8 elections drawing near, the Ministry of Interior Tuesday remitted its summary regarding the deployment of the armed forces during the upcoming polls. The development comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-382574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nDespite several violent incidents, and attacks on candidates, political parties have been continuing their electioneering efforts to woo voters, however, several politicians have voiced concerns over the law and order situation \u2014 with some even moving the Senate seeking poll delay in this regard.
\nEarlier this month, an independent candidate, Kaleemullah Khan \u2014 who was eyeing to contest polls for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly\u2019s PK-104 \u2014 was shot dead in North Waziristan.
\nHours later, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Khalid was also killed in Swabi after unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on his car.
\nAdditionally, several other leaders including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz\u2019s (PML-N) Aslam Buledi, National Democratic Movement\u2019s (NDM) Mohsin Dawar and National Party\u2019s Lala Abdul Rasheed, and Senator Kohda Akram Dashti have also come under attack in the ongoing month.
\nOwing to the precarious situation, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has formed a high-level committee to oversee security for the polls.
\nMeanwhile, the Pakistan Army has also vowed to provide necessary military assistance for the upcoming general elections.
\nIt is pertinent to mention, that Pakistan Army soldiers along with Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel will perform election duties following the Interior Ministry\u2019s summary\u2019s approval by the caretaker federal cabinet.
\nEarlier, authorities decided to seek the army\u2019s help on polls due to an acute shortage of security personnel.
\nPunjab, the country\u2019s election battleground, faces a shortage of 92,000 security personnel at polling stations.
\nMeanwhile, Karachi Police is facing a shortage of 14,300 security personnel including female cops.<\/p>\n