RAWALPINDI, Sept 22: The government has directed the Islamabad administration to start survey of Afghan nationals and prepare contingency plan for the upcoming first Afghan presidential elections , official source told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the ICT administration had been asked to conduct the survey of Afghan nationals living in the capital city and chalk out security plan for polling for the presidential elections scheduled for October 9.

Besides, the existing police personnel and logistics, 1,500 Rangers are likely to be called in for maintaining law and order on the polling day. When the Islamabad Chief Commissioner, Junaid Iqbal, was contacted, he said that extra force would be called for election duty. "They could either be 1,500 Rangers or the Punjab Constabulary personnel."

Three polling stations would be set up in different schools - two in sector I-9 and one in G-9. Special arrangements would also be made for transportation of voters. About 25,000 to 30,000 registered Afghan voters, residing in different parts of the country, are likely to reach Islamabad for casting their vote on October 9.

A survey conducted by the Special Branch of the capital police two years back suggested that around 76,932 Afghan nationals had been residing in different sectors of the capital city. It also found that 11,145 members of 725 families have been living illegally in the city. The government in the past had made efforts to shift Afghan refugees from Islamabad.