ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: The government will provide ‘foolproof’ security to all political leaders, including former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, during electioneering, an interior ministry spokesman said here on Tuesday.

At a weekly press briefing, Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema unveiled the code of conduct prepared by the ministry for the coming election, saying the government would provide a level-playing field to all political parties.

He said the code, copies of which had been sent to the provinces and political parties through the Election Commission, banned processions. “It has been recommended that only gatherings may be allowed at specified places.”

The provincial governments and district administrations will notify such places and organisers of political gatherings will have to get a no-objection certificate from the provincial government concerned.

“The overall responsibility of security rests with the administration and law-enforcement agencies, and not with private security of political parties,” Mr Cheema said.

In reply to a question, he said the government would provide foolproof security to all political leaders.

The code advised administrations and security departments to use frequency jammers and electronic equipment for screening venues of political gatherings. It said that parties and the administration should ensure that plans to maintain normality were worked out before political events.

The code of conduct urged political leaders to keep their public appearance as brief as possible.

Mr Cheema said 5,748 people arrested after the imposition of emergency had been released. Thirty-seven were still in custody, five of whom had been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order and the rest were facing charges of violence and violation of law.

In reply to a question about the implication of Gen Pervez Musharraf’s quitting the army post on the “war on terrorism”, he said the fight against terrorism would continue even after the president left the army.