RAWALPINDI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday started training polling staff for the upcoming general elections.More than 13,000 government officials will perform duties during the polls.

A total of 6,000 presiding officers and assistant presiding officers as well as 23,000 polling officers are being trained. All polling staff are from the education and health departments. As many as 12 schools in the seven tehsils of Rawalpindi district have been turned into training centres.

Earlier, the district administration and the Election Commission finalised a list of 2,150 schools which will function as polling stations.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the assistant commissioners had been directed to conduct a survey of the shortlisted schools and check whether they could be turned into polling stations or not.

He said the Election Commission officials would supervise the district administration in facilitating the polling staff in the next general elections.

The official said a list of polling stations had been prepared last month and presented to the Election Commission.

The provincial government had also been informed about the equipment required for security purposes at the polling stations.

He said details of the expenditure were sent to Lahore and after the provincial government’s approval, the district administration will purchase the gadgets or hire them on rent.

An official of the Election Commission said preparation for the elections had been started and after the present assemblies complete their term next month, the commission will announce the schedule for the polls.

The official said training of polling staff was a month long and the returning presiding officers and polling staff will be trained in helping voters cast their vote.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2018