ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has once again opted out of providing security outside “sensitive and highly sensitive” polling stations during the second phase of local elections in Karachi and Hyderabad on January 15, the interior ministry said on Friday.
The General Headquarters (GHQ) has repeatedly refused to deploy the army for the local elections amid the security situation in the country.
“The GHQ has said that in view of the current deployment and the large number of sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations, as already notified, static deployment and security cover for the polling staff and [ECP] Unable to provide required content”. The commission was read by the Ministry of Interior.
The GHQ said that the provincial government is responsible for providing first level security/static deployment outside the polling stations.
“Furthermore, the current level of deployment of Law Enforcement Agencies/Civil Armed Forces/Army, as already practiced in several elections/municipal elections in the last few years, has paid dividends and has given Sindh’s Deemed eligible to apply in the upcoming local body elections. (Phase 2) also,” the letter read.
However, the GHQ has admitted sending paratroopers to provide security fencing outside 500 sensitive polling stations, the letter said. The army, however, has urged the Election Commission to delineate 500 sensitive polling stations, the home ministry said.
“As a temporary measure efforts will be made to provide the required static deployment of Rangers at these polling stations in support of the police,” it said.
According to informed sources, the development comes after intelligence agencies recommended the Election Commission to postpone the second phase of the local body polls, citing serious “security threats”.
A meeting of agencies “responsible for national security” was held in Karachi today, the sources said, adding that Huddle expressed “serious concerns” over the recent local elections in Sindh.
The meeting was informed that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have strong networks in the province.
The country has seen an increase in terrorism in recent months after the TTP ended its ceasefire with Islamabad and claimed innocent lives.
But senior Pakistani military officers and the federal government have vowed to defeat the terrorists and end the scourge – however, the threat remains.
According to data provided by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, militant activity has been mainly concentrated in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accounting for 31 percent of attacks during the past year and 67 percent of attacks since then.
But before the warning from intelligence agencies, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the provincial government had decided to delay the elections due to the concerns of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).
The Karachi-based party has stressed that municipal elections cannot be held in Karachi and Hyderabad until the new delimitation, but it has not ruled out its participation.
The second round of local body elections was scheduled to be held on July 24 last year, but the Sindh government canceled the polls citing security and police absence due to floods. Later, the elections scheduled for August 28, October 23 were also postponed, and announced a day earlier, for January 15 – the fourth possible delay in elections.
