GILGIT: The authorities have recommended deployment of army at polling stations in Gilgit and Diamer districts during the upcoming polls.

The polls for Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly will be held on June 8. “The administration has forwarded a summary to Chief Election Commissioner Syed Tahir Ali Shah recently, recommending deployment of army at polling stations in Diamer and Gilgit,” an official said.

The administration fears law and order situation at the polling stations in the two districts during the polls. “The chief election commissioner has approved the summary. It has been decided that army would be deployed at the polling stations in Diamer and Gilgit,” the official said.

He said that the chief election commissioner also directed the administrations to asses situation in other districts so that army could be deployed there too if it was necessary.

The election commission also allowed religious organisation Tehreek-i- Islami to contest the elections, said the official. Last month, the Gilgit-Baltistan home department had imposed ban on activities of 11 religious and militant organisations including Tehreek-i-Islami.

Sources said that 12 candidates of the organisation had submitted nomination papers for contesting the elections.

GB Chief Election Commissioner Tahir Ali Shah told Dawn that Tehreek-i- Islami had made a requested for allowing it to take part in the elections. It was allowed to take part in the elections according to law, he added.

He said that Tehreek-i- Islami was a political party, registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. The party had also taken part in the general elections in the country.

Mr Shah said that GB election commission could not bar any political party from contesting elections.

Meanwhile, IGP Zafar Iqbal Awan has said that police will utilise all available resources to maintain peace during the elections.

According a press release, he told a meeting that election cell was established at Central Police Office to monitor poll-related activities. Besides, police were setting up a control room, which would be connected with the other control rooms in all districts, he added.

The IGP said that no one, except the relevant voters, would be allowed to enter any polling station without written permission of the election commission.

He directed the superintendents of police in all districts to take effective measures and make foolproof security plans in their areas for peaceful elections.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2015

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