Punjab Chief Secretary Javed Iqbal directed the police and district administration officers on Saturday to make the required election arrangements like providing security, electricity, drinking water, transporting election material to and deploying security personnel at the polling stations while presiding over a meeting of Rawalpindi’s administration and police officers.
Additional Chief Secretary (CS) Rao Iftikhar, Rawalpindi Commissioner Khalid Masud Ch., Regional Police Officer (RPO) Naseem uz Zaman, District Coordination Officers (DCOs) of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum, Rashid Mehmud Langrial, Yawar Hussain, Iqbal Hussain and Maqbool Ahmed Langa, City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Abdul Razaaq Cheema, District Police Officers (DPOs), Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operation and Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) were present on the occasion.
The Chief Secretary also said that the election material transporters should be brought onboard for the arrangements, and that administration officers should visit all polling stations to devise a map for the monitoring officers. In his briefing, the Rawalpindi Commissioner told that the transport plan was complete: 36 buses, 74 mini buses, 1671 Hiace vans and 1370 suzuki pick-ups will be required for which transporters had already been contacted. Further, government vehicles will also be employed during election days as a back up plan. He said that the administration will have the vehicles ready by May 10. According to the Commissioner, divisional and district control rooms had been set up. Additional DCO level officers will manage the district control room, and an Additional Commissioner level officer will supervise the divisional control room.
District emergency response centers will be established, equipped with WAPDA, Sui Gas, Rescue 1122 officers and fire fighting teams in case of emergency.
Further, health facilities will be provided, and Executive District Officers (EDOs) of Health, District Health Officers (DHOs) and all management of Rawalpindi, District Headquarters (DHQ) and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals will be present.
Rawalpindi Commissioner assured that all municipal services will be available at polling stations, and said that 35 over-sized banners had been removed in the district according to the ECP code of conduct. Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Naseem-uz-Zaman said that security arrangements had been finalized. Volunteers who have been specially trained will perform security duties along with the police. Walk-through gates, metal detectors, tear gas guns and CCTV cameras will be placed at sensitive polling stations, the list of which has been revised.
Army and police joint check posts have been established at entry points of the division, especially on the routes of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK).
Further, hotels, inns, musafirkhanas and Afghan abadis will be searched, and afghan refugees, Fourth Schedule People and foreigners will be monitored. Punjab Chief Secretary added that Afghan abadis should be focused. He said that all departments were responsible for the smooth management of the elections.
