Interior ministry notifies troops' deployment during by-elections

ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry has notified troops deployment outside the polling stations during the upcoming by-elections in different constituencies of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.

A notification has been released by the interior ministry regarding the deployment of troops outside the polling stations over the request of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

According to the notification, Rangers personnel will be deployed in PS-88 from February 15 to 17 in PS-88 and PS-43 outside the polling stations. The polling will be organised in the constituencies of Sindh’s Malir and Sanghar on February 16.

Frontier Corps (FC) personnel will be deployed from February 15 to 17 in Balochistan’s PB-20.

In Punjab’s NA-75, Rangers officials will perform security duties outside the polling stations, whereas, the paramilitary troops will be deployed from February 18 to 20 in PP-51.

On January 9, it emerged that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had decided to deploy army troops outside polling stations during the forthcoming by-elections on overall eight vacant seats of national and provincial constituencies.

The security responsibilities inside the polling stations will be given to police forces during the by-elections, according to the decision taken by ECP.

In December last year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had taken a decision to hold by-elections on all the vacant seats across the country.