The personnel of the Pakistan Army and civil forces will perform duties on the polling day.
The caretaker federal cabinet has approved the deployment for the February 8 polls. The meeting of the cabinet was held in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar presided over the meeting which approved the deployment of the armed forces for the peaceful conduct of polling. The Election Commission of Pakistan has already declared hundreds of polling stations as sensitive. A wave of terrorism has already gripped the country. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are the provinces where major incidents of terrorist attacks on forces and civilians are happening.
The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement, said the caretaker federal government has approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civil armed forces troops for the peaceful conduct of general elections on the recommendation of the interior ministry.
The security personnel will perform duties at sensitive constituencies and polling stations, as per the statement. It added the personnel would also act as a rapid response force.
Section 144 in Punjab:
In a separate development, the Punjab caretaker government has imposed Section 144 all over the province till Feb 12. The government stated that Section 144 has been imposed on threats to the law and order situation. The law empowers authorities to ban public activities.
