The Pakistan Army top brass on Monday approved security and troops’ deployment plan for May 11 general elections with a resolve that no one would be allowed to derail the electoral process and stern action would be taken against terrorists and miscreants.
A special Corps Commanders’ Conference was held at the General Headquarters under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani.
“The focus of the conference was on the plan for provision of security during the upcoming elections,” an ISPR spokesman said.
“All issues pertaining to troops deployment, as per the discussion with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), federal and the provincial governments, were considered and a deployment plan was finalised,” he said.
An official privy to consultations at the conference said it was decided at the meeting to deploy troops at sensitive polling stations in various parts of the country.
He would not give specific details but said soldiers could be sent to the polling stations in some areas of Karachi, some regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, some parts of Sindh as well as Balochistan, including Quetta.
“The army personnel would assist the civilian law enforcement agencies in these sensitive areas to hold smooth election,” he said.
He said the army brass also noted that the army could not be deployed all over the country at all polling stations, but areas where the troops’ deployment was required would not be overlooked and soldiers would take part in security arrangements along with FC troops there.
Some press reports from Quetta earlier said that deployment of army and FC troops had already begun in nine sensitive districts of Balochistan, including Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Awaran, Washuk, Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Kharan and Gwadar.
The official said the military commanders resolved that all possible steps would be taken to deal with the menace of terrorism. The army leadership observed that stern action would be taken against terrorists and miscreants bent upon derailing the electoral process.
“The army brass noted with deep concern the ongoing terrorist attacks on various political parties in Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of country and said the army would help the civilian law enforcement agencies in sensitive zones to hold peaceful and smooth elections,” he said.
He said the army leadership also asked for close coordination among the civilian law enforcement agencies and intelligence organisations to block the way of terrorist attacks during the election campaign and on the polling day on May 11.
