ISLAMABAD, April 25: Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan will be sealed on the polling day and Afghan refugees will be confined in their camps to guard against any act of terrorism.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) met on Thursday to review security arrangements for the May 11 elections and a senior official of the interior ministry who attended the meeting was quoted as saying that the restriction on movement of the Afghan refugees would be imposed a day before the polling and would continue for three days.

The meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim was attended by the defence secretary, additional interior secretary, provincial chief secretaries and home secretaries, inspectors general of police and representatives of various ministries having a role in conducting the elections.

The official said the interior ministry was mobilising all resources to protect political leaders, candidates and voters in accordance with ECP directives.

The meeting was informed that control rooms would be set up in all the provinces which would be assisted in setting up election security committees.

The chief secretaries said they were confident that despite various challenges the provinces would be able to hold the elections in a secure environment through proper planning and coordinated efforts. They also shared with the ECP their provinces’ security plans.

“We cannot afford to fail as our failure will mean failure of Pakistan. If we succeed you will be heroes of the country,” the CEC was quoted as having said at the meeting.

Remarks made by additional chief secretary of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Dr Tashfeen served to boost the morale of other participants when he said that if elections in Fata were possible there should be no problem in other parts of the country.

The meeting decided to set up polling stations within IDP (internally displaced persons) camps.

Dr Tashfeen suggested polling stations at appropriate locations to ensure that the IDPs living in other places did not have to pass through dangerous areas to exercise their right to vote.

He informed the meeting that 355 candidates were contesting for the national and provincial assembly seats in Fata. Over 140 election meetings were held -- 15 of them by independent candidates. No act of terrorism was reported from any of the places where gatherings were held.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election commissioner suggested deployment of a person with first-aid box at each polling station, besides ambulances kept on standby to meet any emergency.

The proposal was supported by all the participants.

He was of the opinion that an efficient control over entry of voters into polling stations would help avert any major mishap.

DEPLOYMENT OF ARMY: Defence Secretary retired Lt Gen Asif Yasin Malik reiterated the government’s stance that army soldiers should not be deployed at polling stations; they should be kept as quick response force. He was of the opinion that police, Rangers and other civil armed forces should be deployed at the polling stations.

The meeting decided that the provincial administrations would discuss their requirement about deployment of troops with local military commanders.

LOADSHEDDING: Talking to reporters, ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan said the commission had called water and power secretary to express its desire for a halt to loadshedding for the next three weeks, particularly from May 10 to 12.

He said security cameras would be installed at sensitive polling stations wherever possible and video recording arrangements would be made at the rest.

He said the defence secretary had renewed the army’s commitment to playing a role in free and fair elections and ensuring a secure environment for voters. Mr Khan said the elections would be held in all agencies of Fata and all parts of Balochistan, adding that the army would have a key role in providing security in both the areas.