RAWALPINDI: Just days before the big event, the city police have started implementing directives from the Punjab government to ensure peaceful local government elections on Saturday and bound 655 candidates to keep peace on the polling day and the following three days.

They have signed surety bonds to the effect, valuing between Rs150,000 and Rs500,000. But only 10 candidates acted on the directive to deposit their licensed weapons with the police, said the police sources.

About 4,000 candidates are in the field and all are subject to the directives. Police would return the weapons three days after the polling. Details of surety bonds submitted and weapons deposited by the contesting candidates are being sent to the home department on a daily basis, according to the sources.

A list of the sensitive polling stations and the strategy of deployment of security forces have already been communicated to the home department.

Local elected parliamentarians have been barred from visiting polling stations, but asked to help keep peace.

Of the 1,763 polling stations to be set up for the third phase of local government elections, 486 have been categorized as “sensitive” with different levels of security concerns.

Regional Police Officer Mohammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja told Dawn that law would be applied equally and without discrimination to all political leaders and workers. Police officers have orders to ensure that the election staff is not bullied by anyone.

In addition to 6,000 policemen, some 16,000 other security personnel and elite force commandoes will be deployed across the Rawalpindi district on December 5 to keep peace during the third phase of the local government polls, he said.

Nine companies of Pakistan Army and two of Rangers will be on call as a quick response force. These forces will hold a flag march before the polling day, especially in areas declared as most sensitive.

“The Army and Rangers will be on patrol and act as a quick response force in emergency situations. They would enter polling stations, if need be,” PRO Sultan Raja said.

The Rawalpindi district has been divided into six zones, 35 sectors and 72 sub-sectors. One company of army will be on patrol in one zone. A Superintendent of Police will be in-charge of the police force in each zone, he said.

Divisional commissioners and police chiefs have orders to strictly enforce the bans on assembly of persons other than voters within 300 metres of a polling station and on the carrying and display of all kind of weapons during the election.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2015