KOHAT, April 23: The provincial government will provide foolproof security at the most sensitive polling stations in Kohat division so as to ensure peaceful polling in May 11 elections.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting here on Tuesday chaired by the provincial Caretaker Home Minister Fayyaz Khan Toru.

The meeting was also attended by the Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ehsan Ghani, secretary interior, Commissioner, Kohat division, Syed Jamaluddin Shah, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Kohat region, Azad Khan, DIG, special branch, Ishtiaq Marwat and officials from Orakzai and Kurram agencies.

The meeting reviewed security arrangements for deployment of security forces at the most sensitive polling stations in Kohat division.

The meeting was informed that out of a total of 373 polling stations in Kohat, 76 had been declared most sensitive, 134 sensitive whereas 163 normal. In Hangu district, 57 polling stations had been declared highly sensitive and 67 as sensitive.

The meeting was informed that the list of these polling stations would be signed by the district and sessions judge, who is also the district returning officer, and then dispatched to the Election Commission and higher authorities for deployment of security forces.

Similarly, the meeting was told that there were hundreds of polling stations which had been declared most sensitive and sensitive in Orakzai and Kurram agencies.

The meeting also decided to hire services of retired army and police officers for the security of the polling stations.

The Home Minister Fayyaz Khan Toru and the IGP Ehsan Ghani directed the Kohat division administrations to take all necessary measures to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the region.

Meanwhile, official sources confided to Dawn that army personnel, frontier constabulary, police commandoes, Frontier Corps and volunteers from district defence would be deployed at the most sensitive and sensitive polling stations. —Correspondent

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