ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed the Army and Rangers personnel on Tuesday to perform security duties during the coming by-polls in Sindh and Punjab.

This was decided at a meeting between ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad and Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. The meeting was also attended by the Interior Secretary and the Additional Secretary of ECP, Fida Muhammad, representatives of Sindh and Punjab Rangers and senior officials of the ministries of defence.

It was decided that Pakistan Army will replace Rangers in case of a shortfall in the required strength of troops and provincial governments concerned would provide funds in case of lack of resources.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of difficulties in the movement of Rangers during three recent by-polls held in Badin, Dera Ismail Khan and Vehari. Sources told Dawn that the Sindh government had decided to obstruct deployment of Rangers for Badin, asserting that they could not move to Badin without the government’s permission.

The Sindh Home Secretary said a summary would be submitted to the chief minister to seek his approval for deployment of Rangers for elections.

The ECP highlighted that the requisition for Rangers by the provincial government to assist in maintenance of law and order under Article 245 of the Constitution was entirely different from deployment of Rangers or Army for security-related duties for electoral exercises under Article 220.

The DGMO assured the meeting that there will be no difficulty in deployment of Army and Rangers in future for polling duty and that an immediate contact would be established with the ECP in case of any confusion.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2016