BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has allowed candidates for general polls to engage private guards for their campaigns across the province, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Muhammad Faisal Rana told a press briefing on Monday.

According to the RPO, guards must have licensed weapons with them.

Also, unveiling the security plan of the polling day for 4,321 polling stations across the three districts for five NA and 10 PA seats, Mr Rana said about 11,000 personnel with 100 qaumi razakars and over 11,000 personnel of special protection unit would be deployed for the maintenance of law and order and smooth polling at the polling stations. Of 4,321 stations, 224 and 705 have been declared extremely sensitive.

Police would install 1,344 CCTV cameras to monitors polling stations, which have been divided into 74 sectors and 432 sub-sectors. Also, 74 commandos of the Quick Response Force, 48 companies of anti-riot force and 81 Elite Force personnel would be deployed while the personnel of the Pakistan army would also be deployed at polling stations.

The RPO said so far police arrested 60 people and registered 44 cases in the division against candidates for violation of poll codes.

SIEZED: The Uch Sharif police seized 40,000 gallons of petrol smuggled from Iran on Monday. According to police, the petrol was being smuggled in an oil tanker, which was seized near village Tahirwali on Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar highway.

Also, Rescue 1122 plugged leakage in an oil tanker at the Bahawalpur Sutlej Toll Plaza near Bahawalpur city on Monday.

The petrol was being leaked from the oil tanker going from Karachi to Lahore.

Rescue 1122, police, motorway police and Civil Defence personnel cordoned off the area. They took the oil tanker to a deserted place and fixed the leakage.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018