LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to deploy army both within and outside polling stations during by-elections in Punjab.

“For ensuring transparency in the by-polls it has been decided to seek cooperation of all civil and military agencies and deploy army men both within and outside the polling stations,” ECP secretary Babar Yaqoob told the media after a meeting of the Commission chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza here on Monday.

It reviewed the preparations regarding by-elections in Lahore and Okara as well as local government elections in the province.

The Punjab chief secretary, secretaries of home and local government departments, Inspector-General of Punjab Police, all divisional commissioners, regional police officers and district returning officers (for by-elections and phase-I LG elections in Punjab) were in attendance.

The polling for NA-122 and PP-147 (Lahore), and NA-144 (Okara) will be held on Oct 11 (Sunday).

Mr Yaqoob said that on the demand of the army four closed circuit TV cameras along with UPS for uninterrupted power supply would be supplied for each polling station to ensure transparency in the polling process.

He told a questioner that one per cent additional ballots had been printed for the by-polls and that the army was supervising the whole printing process.

Responding to another query, he said that police and all other government agencies would remain neutral during the election as the authorities concerned in Punjab had given the ECP assurances to this effect.

Meanwhile, the ECP has also started training of the polling staff for local government elections. The training will be conducted between Oct 7 and 24 at nine selected government schools in the provincial metropolis.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2015

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