The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ruled that army personnel would be deployed alongside local police to guard polling stations in the second phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), after pronouncing the provincial government's 'failure' to provide adequate security.
The decision comes after allegations of mismanagement, vandalism and a lack of security at several polling places during the first cycle of elections were presented at a hearing before the ECP.
During the hearing, the ECP was shown videos of two separate incidents of vandalism at polling stations in Peshawar. The videos also showed people ripping up ballot papers, breaking ballot boxes, and jostling polling place staff.
The ECP ruled that the provincial government was unable to maintain law and order, and that local police had, “remained silent spectator during vandalism and didn’t stop people from damaging polling materials.”
"Keeping in view the miserable failure of the provincial government in maintaining law and order, the ECP has decided to deploy army personnel along with police in the 2nd phase of local body elections as well as re-polling,” said a statement from the ECP.
The second phase of the local elections in KP will commence on March 27, and will include several districts which were unable to hold elections in the first phase due to security concerns.
Human Rights Minister Shaukat Yousafzai of the KP Provincial Assembly told Dawn that the polling places had been peaceful overall.
“Police personnel and security arrangements were provided to polling stations as demanded by the ECP,” the minister concluded.
The decision comes after allegations of mismanagement, vandalism and a lack of security at several polling places during the first cycle of elections were presented at a hearing before the ECP.
During the hearing, the ECP was shown videos of two separate incidents of vandalism at polling stations in Peshawar. The videos also showed people ripping up ballot papers, breaking ballot boxes, and jostling polling place staff.
The ECP ruled that the provincial government was unable to maintain law and order, and that local police had, “remained silent spectator during vandalism and didn’t stop people from damaging polling materials.”
"Keeping in view the miserable failure of the provincial government in maintaining law and order, the ECP has decided to deploy army personnel along with police in the 2nd phase of local body elections as well as re-polling,” said a statement from the ECP.
The second phase of the local elections in KP will commence on March 27, and will include several districts which were unable to hold elections in the first phase due to security concerns.
Human Rights Minister Shaukat Yousafzai of the KP Provincial Assembly told Dawn that the polling places had been peaceful overall.
“Police personnel and security arrangements were provided to polling stations as demanded by the ECP,” the minister concluded.