LAHORE, Dec 25: As many as 209,469 security personnel will be deployed to ensure fair, free and peaceful general election on Jan 8, the Punjab police chief said here on Tuesday.

Unfolding security plan for the election, Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Ahmad Nasim said policemen would be deployed at 38,569 polling stations across the province. He said 3,859 mobile teams equipped with modern weapons and thousands of policemen on motorcycles would patrol sensitive areas throughout the election day.

Nasim said district coordination officers could requisition army and Rangers personnel in aid to the civil administration to maintain law and order. He said police was ‘fully prepared’ to deal with any situation.

The IG said no one would be allowed to disturb peace on the election day. He said police commandoes and elite force personnel would also be deployed in all sensitive areas of the province. He said police officers had already been told to ensure compliance with the election code of conduct and coordinate with the civil administration.

Separately, Capital City Police Officer Malik Muhammad Iqbal said the IG’s instructions had been conveyed to all town police officers.—APP