Elections 2024: Pakistan ‘facing’ shortage of over 0.2m security personnel

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Raja Sultan has summoned an important meeting regarding the security arrangements for general elections 2024 as Pakistan was facing a shortage of over 270,000 security personnel, ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that CEC Raja Sultan will chair the meeting tomorrow at 11 am, which will be attended by representatives of Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence and security institutions.

The meeting will also be attended by provincial election commission secretaries and inspector-generals (IGs), sources added.

Sources claimed that the country was facing a shortage of over 277,000 security personnel, whereas only 328,000 police personnel were currently available.

The meeting is likely to make decisions regarding the deployment of Pakistan Army personnel at the polling stations.

Earlier in Dec, it was reported that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sought assistance of Pakistan Army and civil armed forces during the general elections, citing a shortage of nearly 0.3 million security personnel.

“While the ECP takes all necessary steps to organise an election, […] it also expects the same commitment from the executive authorities and law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order in the area of the constituencies during the conduct of elections,” the ECP said in a letter to Ministry of Interior.

The request invoked Article 220 of the Constitution, emphasising the duty of all executive authorities to support the ECP in fulfilling its functions.

The letter disclosed a significant shortfall of 267,558 security personnel required for the effective conduct of the general elections.