Pak Army, Rangers to be deployed during Punjab by-polls

ISLAMABAD: Rangers, Pakistan Army personnel and Frontier Constabulary will be deployed during by-elections in Punjab, scheduled to be held on July 17, ARY News reported on Friday.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to review the security measures ahead of the Punjab by-elections. The meeting was attended by the officials of the Interior Ministry and security departments.

The participants reviewed the law and order situation during the July 17 by-elections and also reviewed the letter of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Raja Sultan regarding the deployment of forces in the sensitive constituencies.

During the meeting, the participants expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements in the constituencies for the by-elections. The meeting decided to deploy Army, Rangers and Frontier Constabulary during Punjab by-elections.

Meanwhile, the meeting has imposed a ban on the display and possession of arms during by-elections in Punjab and Sindh. A special control room will be set up at the Interior Ministry on July 16 and 17.

Rana Sanaullah has directed the provincial governments and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to ensure law and order during the by-elections in Sindh and Punjab.

The by-polls on the 20 Punjab Assembly seats, vacated after the PTI MPAs voted for Humza Shehbaz in the CM elections, will be conducted on July 17, 2022.

The results of the by-polls would be essential for the CM vote count, ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in the Punjab Assembly in July 2022.

Also Read: Punjab by-polls: Election campaigns end tonight 12 AM

PML-N needs to win a total of 9 seats in the by-elections to gain a majority to elect their Chief Minister in the biggest province of the country.