EC’s rules clearly violated by some parties
ISLAMABAD: The federal capital has witnessed a very safe day during the election regarding the security situation. In two constituencies NA-48 and 49 of Islamabad, 6,500 police officials were deployed by the capital administration. Among total 548 polling stations, 40 were declared sensitive.
However in some polling stations, Election Commission’s rules for keeping the political camps 40 meters away from the polling stations were clearly violated by the political parties. The city was having a normal atmosphere beside the blast incidents occurred during and before the election day in many areas of the country.
Two helicopters throughout the day kept the city under their monitoring while Frontier Corp, Ranger’s and a large number of police officials from Azad Kashmir were also deployed in the city to handle any unwanted incident. The capital administration had also imposed Section 144 in Islamabad through which, usage of loud speakers and display of arms and ammunition was strictly banned.
In many areas of Sector I-8, I-9 and I-10, the polling camps were installed adjacent to the polling station while ECP’s law clearly states that installing political camps less than 400 meters from the polling station is illegal. Inspector Ulfat Arif, supervising the security arrangements at IMCG near I-8 Markaz when contacted said that, “these political agents in the camps are actually assisting the voters by telling them how to cast their votes, and in this area, there is nothing wrong if they have installed their camps close to the polling station.”
The main focus of the security personnel were on the highly sensitive polling stations of the city including the polling stations of Lohi Bher and Charrah area. While according the report of security agencies, the political clashes between the Pakistan Muslim League-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s workers was also expected but till the end of the day, the polling process went peacefully.
According to the statements of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and the Federal Government Services Hospital’ spokespersons, the hospital did not receive any patient got injured or affected during the polling process. PIMS’s spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja when contacted said that the hospital was already on high alert from the last two days and the holidays of the medical as well as paramedical staff had been cancelled just to handle any emergency situation during the electoral process.
The polling station in NA-48 Polling Station (14) Food Officer’s office sector I-11 was declared sensitive by the capital administration of Islamabad due to its location in slum area where mostly afghan natives are residing. In the male polling station, two political agents of PTI and JI were reported to clash on a minor issue, which was later resolved by the interruption of police.
A police official deployed in the polling station told that, only five local police officials are deployed in the sensitive polling station while rest of the others are the officials called from Azad & Jammu Kashmir. On every polling station, between 5 to 15 police officials were deployed with respect to the sensitivity, while between 2 to 1 woman police officials were deployed on woman polling stations. In NA-48 polling station No (196) of Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) I-8/2, The woman waiting in voter’s row were teased by the male voters who started to gather in front of female polling station after casting their votes, but the situation was handled by the police officials after their interruption. In the same polling station, male police officials were also found settling the female voters in queue inside the female polling section in the presence of female police officials. The police officials when asked stated that it was due to a large number of female voters appeared to cast their votes and the situation was not possible for a single female official to handle.
In NA-48 polling station no (221) IMCG I-9/1, the presiding officer complained to the Election Commission Pakistan’s Inspector on visit, that the staff in the polling station is insufficient according to the number of voters while the staff and principle of the school in which the polling station was made, is also not cooperating with them. Muhammad Irfan, the ECP’s Inspector assured him that the higher authorities will be informed about the issue and an inquiry will be conducted for this.
Two helicopters throughout the day kept the city under their monitoring while Frontier Corp, Ranger’s and a large number of police officials from Azad Kashmir were also deployed in the city to handle any unwanted incident. The capital administration had also imposed Section 144 in Islamabad through which, usage of loud speakers and display of arms and ammunition was strictly banned.
In many areas of Sector I-8, I-9 and I-10, the polling camps were installed adjacent to the polling station while ECP’s law clearly states that installing political camps less than 400 meters from the polling station is illegal. Inspector Ulfat Arif, supervising the security arrangements at IMCG near I-8 Markaz when contacted said that, “these political agents in the camps are actually assisting the voters by telling them how to cast their votes, and in this area, there is nothing wrong if they have installed their camps close to the polling station.”
The main focus of the security personnel were on the highly sensitive polling stations of the city including the polling stations of Lohi Bher and Charrah area. While according the report of security agencies, the political clashes between the Pakistan Muslim League-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s workers was also expected but till the end of the day, the polling process went peacefully.
According to the statements of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and the Federal Government Services Hospital’ spokespersons, the hospital did not receive any patient got injured or affected during the polling process. PIMS’s spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja when contacted said that the hospital was already on high alert from the last two days and the holidays of the medical as well as paramedical staff had been cancelled just to handle any emergency situation during the electoral process.
The polling station in NA-48 Polling Station (14) Food Officer’s office sector I-11 was declared sensitive by the capital administration of Islamabad due to its location in slum area where mostly afghan natives are residing. In the male polling station, two political agents of PTI and JI were reported to clash on a minor issue, which was later resolved by the interruption of police.
A police official deployed in the polling station told that, only five local police officials are deployed in the sensitive polling station while rest of the others are the officials called from Azad & Jammu Kashmir. On every polling station, between 5 to 15 police officials were deployed with respect to the sensitivity, while between 2 to 1 woman police officials were deployed on woman polling stations. In NA-48 polling station No (196) of Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG) I-8/2, The woman waiting in voter’s row were teased by the male voters who started to gather in front of female polling station after casting their votes, but the situation was handled by the police officials after their interruption. In the same polling station, male police officials were also found settling the female voters in queue inside the female polling section in the presence of female police officials. The police officials when asked stated that it was due to a large number of female voters appeared to cast their votes and the situation was not possible for a single female official to handle.
In NA-48 polling station no (221) IMCG I-9/1, the presiding officer complained to the Election Commission Pakistan’s Inspector on visit, that the staff in the polling station is insufficient according to the number of voters while the staff and principle of the school in which the polling station was made, is also not cooperating with them. Muhammad Irfan, the ECP’s Inspector assured him that the higher authorities will be informed about the issue and an inquiry will be conducted for this.
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