ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has sought reconfirmation from the Election Commission of Pakistan that army troops will be deployed inside and outside polling stations in the by-election to be held on Dec 23 on the National Assembly seat from Lodhran.

In a letter to the ECP secretary, Jahangir Khan Tareen, the PTI candidate in the by-election, has reminded the commission that when the polling was scheduled to be held in the same constituency on Oct 11, it had announced that the army would be deployed at polling stations.

“I am writing to seek your reconfirmation that the army shall be deployed...in NA-154 Lodhran in the upcoming by-elections on Dec 23 to maintain law and order situation and ensure free and fair elections,” says the letter, a copy of which was relea­sed to media by the PTI here on Saturday.

“The presence of army both inside and outside the polling stations in NA-122 (Lahore) was of great importance in ensuring that the elections are conducted peacefully and fairly. Same had been ordered for by-elections in NA-154 Lodhran which were originally scheduled to be held on Oct 11,” Mr Tareen says in the letter, which has also been sent to the chief election commissioner.

It was mainly on the demand of the PTI that the ECP had previously deployed army and Rangers inside and outside the polling stations during by-elections held in Lahore, Attock and Okara last month.

The troops remained deployed in and outside the polling stations till completion of the counting process. The ECP had also asked the Rangers and army personnel to keep patrolling in the constituencies till midnight on the polling day.

According to the ECP, it had made the decision “in view of the requests made by the returning officers, endorsed by the district returning officer concerned and provincial election commissioner, Punjab”.

The Supreme Court had ordered on Oct 28 fresh elections in NA-154 while deciding an election dispute between the PML-N and PTI.

The order had been issued by the court on a petition of Siddique Baloch, who had joined the PML-N after being elected as an independent candidate during the 2013 general elections.

Mr Baloch had been disqualified and unseated by an election tribunal on Aug 26 on a petition of Mr Tareen, who had accused the former of possessing a fake educational degree and committing massive irregularities in the polls.

The apex court set aside the tribunal’s decisions, ordered re-election and allowed Mr Baloch to take part in the contest.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2015