December 20, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 9, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 19: Caretaker Chief Minister Justice Ejaz Nisar (retired) has directed the police officers to make foolproof arrangements for the maintenance of law and order during the general elections.

Addressing a meeting of the district police officers at the Civil Secretariat here, the chief minister said all sensitive polling stations should be identified for providing effective security cover.

All police officers should perform their duties impartially and Election Commission’s instructions pertaining to transfers of police officers be strictly implemented. He said the action plan evolved to cope with any eventuality during elections should be strictly implemented. Complete security should also be provided to international observers.

All political parties, he said, should be asked to follow the code of conduct prescribed by the EC. Hoisting of flags of political parties and slogan mongering should not be allowed at buildings of government offices.

Briefing the chief minister about the arrangements, IG Ahmad Nasim said the EC instructions would be implemented in letter and spirit.

He said community policing and installation of cameras at commercial centres had helped reduce the incidence of crime considerably.

A number of gangs involved in heinous crimes have been busted and roads in rural areas have become safe after the establishment of highway patrolling posts.

The IG said the strategy evolved for checking sectarianism and terrorism was also being implemented effectively.

Additional chief secretary Naguibullah Malik said the police would maintain law and order during the elections according to best of its abilities. He said additional force would be deployed at the sensitive polling stations.

Home secretary Khusro Pervez said all assistance was being extended to the EC for maintenance of peace during the election. He said regular meetings of officers of police, local government and other departments concerned were being held for the purpose. Strict measures were also being taken to check wall chalking as it tended to increase political tension, he said.