SWABI: At least 340 lady health workers (LHWs) and lady health visitors (LHVs) of various public sector health units will be deployed at women’s polling stations in the district on Sunday (tomorrow) to assist the police in providing security to the female voters.

When contacted, district police officer Mohammad Shoaib Khan said that LHWs and LHVs would conduct body search of the female voters at the polling stations. He said that rest of the security duties would be performed by the police force.

A police official that there were only 31 lady police constables in the district and they needed more female staff at the women’s polling stations across the district and there was no option but to deploy LHWs and LHVs for the purpose.

He said that the district administration and medical superintendents had been requested to cooperate with the district police in provision of security to the female voters.

“They lady health staff would perform body search of female voters at the entry points of polling stations so that the women voters could exercise their right to vote without any fear,” said DSP headquarters Nooral Amin.

The health staff gathered on the lawns of the DPO office on Friday where a security briefing was given to them.

When contacted, an LHW said they had been asked by the police officials to handle the situation at the polling stations with politeness.

The DPO said they also required over 1,000 policemen from other districts to help them in provision of security to the voters.

Of the total 1,557 district police personnel, about 1,011 would perform duty at the polling stations.

Another official said they had requested the Mansehra police training school for provision of 770 personnel, Swabi police training school 200 personnel and Kohat police training school for 90 personnel for the polling day duty.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2021