100,000 policemen deployed in Punjab

* Sindh Rangers chief says about 71,591 Rangers and policemen will be deployed during polls

LAHORE: Punjab Police has been put on alert and about 100,000 personnel have been deployed in 17 Punjab districts to ensure transparent and peaceful local council elections tomorrow (Thursday).

Punjab Inspector General (IG) of Police Ziaul Hassan Khan said on Tuesday that President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the acting chief election commissioner and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had asked Punjab Police to help keep peace during the polls.

Giving details of the security plan for the first phase of the elections, the IG said 2,078 polling stations out of a total of 17,411 had been declared sensitive and that all 17 district police officers (DPOs) had recruited nearly 70,000 additional special police personnel to be deployed at polling stations in their areas.

One mobile police team would look after 10 polling stations while two motorcycle police teams would keep track of five polling stations, he said, adding that police foot soldiers, special police commandos and Elite Force personnel would also be deployed.

The IG said intelligence agencies had also been asked to keep track of suspects and help law enforcement agencies and Election Commission staff to conduct peaceful elections.

He said all deputy inspectors general and DPOs had also been asked to keep close liaison with the district returning officers and returning officers in their areas.

In case of any emergency, Pakistan Army personnel could be asked to help the civil administration to maintain law and order.

Also, Sindh Rangers Director General Maj Gen Javed Zia said on Tuesday that about 71,591 Rangers and police personnel would be deployed in Sindh for the local council polls.

He said that 10,665 Rangers would be deployed in Karachi and 8,444 Rangers would be deployed in interior Sindh. He said 35,272 policemen would be deployed in Karachi while 17,210 would be deployed in interior Sindh. In addition to this, police would also raise auxiliary forces, he added.

Karachi would be tense during the first phase of local council elections and police and Rangers would be brought in from places in interior Sindh to keep law and order in the city, he said, adding that police and Rangers with additional squads would be sent back to interior Sindh during the second phase of the polls. app

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