- CPO Ahsan Abbas says police taking all possible measures to maintain law, order during campaigns, on polling day
RAWALPINDI: As many as 104 male, female and combined polling stations including 24 in NA-57, Rawalpindi-I, 15 in NA-58, Rawalpindi-II, 31 in NA-59, Rawalpindi-III, 20 in NA-62, Rawalpindi-VI and 13 in NA-63, Rawalpindi-VII, set up for general elections 2018 have been declared highly sensitive while 91 sensitive in the district.
According to ECP officials, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had finalised polling schemes for seven National Assembly and 15 Provincial Assembly constituencies of Rawalpindi district while 6200 polling booths including 3200 for male and 3000 for female voters will be set up for the general elections.
Total 2576 polling stations will be set up in the district where 31,25,669 voters including 16,47,507 male and 14,78,162 female will cast their ballots to elect their representatives. The strict security arrangements will be made for highly sensitive polling stations of the district.
To a question, they informed that action in accordance with the law was being taken against the violators of the code of conduct without any discrimination. The district authorities concerned are taking action on the violations and illegal election publicity material including unapproved size banners and posters displayed by the political parties and the candidates, is being removed, they added.
The Election Commission is running a voters awareness programme to enhance voters turn out in the general election 2018. The district police have finalised election security plan. According to City Police Officer (CPO) Ahsan Abbas, the police are taking all possible measures to maintain law and order during the election campaign and on July 25, the polling day.
The CPO informed that the ban on display of weapons will be implemented in letter and spirit and no one would be allowed to violate the ban. He said that the polling stations in Rawalpindi were categorised as A, B and C for the security purposes. As part of the security arrangements, the CPO said that the district had been divided into sectors and sub-sectors.
Each police station in the district constitutes one sector and a police reserve will be at the disposal of the sector police station during polls. Meanwhile, the polling stations have been divided into sub-sectors of 20 stations, with each sub-sector assigned two police personnel on a motorbike and a patrol van with six police personnel.
He said that the authorities concerned have been requested for 1200 extra police personnel to assist local police. Total 75 National Assembly and 166 Provincial Assembly candidates are contesting general election in the district including seven heavyweights – former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, former interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Raja Qamarul Islam and Hanif Abbasi.
