PESHAWAR: A high-level meeting of police officers on Thursday reviewed the security issues concerning the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and decided to create security zones outside each polling station at a distance of 100-200 yards to restrict the movement of irrelevant persons and vehicles.

In case of any untoward incident, the armed personnel will not open fire without orders from the relevant station house officer and sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) on duty. They will also ensure making a video film of that particular incident so that it could be used as a solid proof against those taking the law into their hands.

These steps were decided in a meeting chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani at the Central Police Office here, according to a press release. Regional police officers (RPOs), additional IGPs of Special Branch, headquarters, investigation and operations, commandant Elite Force, DIG counter-terrorism department and capital city police officer, Peshawar, participated in the meeting.

The RPOs gave a detailed briefing about the implementation of LG election instructions, follow up of decisions of the previous RPOs conference, meeting with candidates, stakeholders, categorisation of polling stations, deployment of manpower, total and reserve strength and shortfall, personal security of the candidates and vetting by police and other necessary arrangements.

It was decided that every personnel on duty must carry their identity card duly signed by the security branch and issued for the LG poll duty.

The officers were asked to hold briefing sessions for the police personnel before sending them for duty and they should be told to perform duty in a professional manner. It was also directed that the identity card number and mobile number of other government personnel deputed on election duty must be made available with the police.

The RPOs were asked to assign the concerned DPO to regularly hold meetings with the intelligence agencies and record minutes of such meetings and send the relevant information to the heads of institutions concerned. It was noted at the meeting that there should be absolutely no ambiguity about the security plan. They were asked to resolve the issues, if any, before May 27. The participants were also advised to keep proper record of all wireless messages and ensure sending of all reports of checking and carrying of video recording cameras in the vehicles of SHO and SDPO.

The officers were directed to provide phone number of control room to all relevant persons and keep it operational round the clock, record details of distance of each polling station from police station and reaching time and withdrawal of all personnel from the offices and residents of the police officers and deploying them on polling duties.

The IGP made it clear that holding of the LG elections 2015 in a peaceful atmosphere was a big challenge for the force and asked the participants to perform duty in a professional manner so that the best security environment could be ensured to the people during the elections.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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