ISLAMABAD: Despite remarkable improvements in the security situation from the 2013 elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to deploy army troops for the July 25 elections as it doesn’t want to take any chances, media reports have informed.
“Our first and foremost priority is to hold the polls in a totally peaceful environment wherein the voters are free to exercise their right of franchise,” ECP spokesman Altaf Khan said.
“We don’t want to take any risks,” he said on the allocation of 350,000 military troops for the upcoming elections.
For the 2013 parliamentary elections, around 70,000 troops were deployed across Pakistan to perform security duties.
The army personnel would be present outside and inside the premises of polling stations. They will not have anything to do with the process of casting of votes and ballot papers, but will only perform their security duty.
In an ECP meeting held with representatives of the political parties to finalise the code of conduct for the polls, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders highlighted the view that there was no need to deploy the military troops inside the polling stations as violence can occur inside the stations too.
It is believed that those polling stations declared highly sensitive where violence eruption is feared for different reasons will see more deployment than other points.
After doing its precise calculations about the number of required army personnel, the ECP will send its proposal to the defence ministry for deployment of troops.
Former Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik said deployment of 350,000 troops for elections is appalling.
“The requisition of 350,000 personnel by the ECP means purely the combat troops. If this requisition is approved, the army will have to release another 100,000 troops for the movement and other arrangements of the combat troops which is impossible for the military.
The army is already engaged on the borders whereas the Line of Control (LOC) is also hot. Under these circumstances, I don’t think the army will be able to release 200,000 troops for elections duty.”
He said such a large number of troops deployment is impossible for the army and believed that the military might adopt “composite group” method (two army personnel and one police officer) for the election duties.
When asked what the army deployment says about the capacity of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), Asif Yasin Malik said that even during the peace the army cannot release its 50pc troops for election purposes.
The military deployment depends on variable factors – uses for floods/emergency situation and polls is different, he said adding that the deployment for the elections is altogether different because such nationwide consumption requires a lot of resources.
The retired general said that as per the army policy, the military will not deploy less than four troops in any polling station.
To a question about whether this deployment will impact the claims of a successful military operation that has brought peace and stability, Asif Yasin Malik said spring of around 200,000 troops will not create any impact the ongoing operations.
The troops will be deployed for elections for almost a week or a little longer and during this period the army can increase the pace of search mechanism in troubled areas, hence no major impact on the operation, he said.
Talking about the reason behind the increased deployment of army personnel, the ex-defence secretary said the troops were deployed outside the polling stations during the 2013 general elections but this time they will be detailed inside these premises.
In view of the rigging allegations in 2013, the army will accept the responsibility if it is given entire control now otherwise it will refuse, he said and added that the troops were deployed for security purpose during 2013 but now they are being deployed to hold the elections.
Lt Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib said that it is impossible for the army to release 350,000 troops for election duty. However, the polls could be held through mix deployment including Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and police. If the army deployment is made under Article 245 of the Constitution, the other LEAs will directly work under the command of the army and this is the best solution, he said.
About LEAs’ capacity, he said he did not believe the army can release more than 150,000 troops for the election purpose keeping in view the current commitment of the armed forces.
Amjad Shoaib was of the view that if the army mustered up 150,000 troops for the elections, there will be no impact on its current operations.
“However, if the top leadership of armed forces decides to send more than 150,000 troops, there might be some impact on the ongoing campaigns.”
