ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: The district returning officer, Mian Farooq Ahmed, on Wednesday rejected the police security plan, specially prepared for the polls in the capital.
The plan was rejected at a meeting convened by the district returning officer at his office. The meeting was also attended by the returning officers of the capital’s two constituencies, coordinator elections in Islamabad, Chaudhry Asghar, additional deputy commissioner (general) Malik Tariq, assistant commissioner (Saddar), assistant commissioner (rural) and additional SP.
The district returning officer had some reservations on the security plan, a source told Dawn.
However, the meeting approved the polling and traffic plans prepared by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration.
The source said the police had prepared sector-wise security plan, while the local judiciary wanted it to be polling station- wise.
Mr Ahmed directed the police to prepare another plan by October 6 that covered every polling station in the capital, he said.
The source said the district returning officer also asked them to deploy sufficient number of personnel at all polling stations for the security of voters and supporters of the candidates.
“It would be the responsibility of the police to start polling in time and maintain law and order,” the meeting decided.
Our Staff Reporter From Rawalpindi Adds: Eight polling stations have been declared sensitive in Taxila Tehsil, a spokesman for the district administration told Dawn.
This was disclosed at a briefing held to apprise the District Nazim, Raja Tariq Kiani, about the election arrangements in Taxila Tehsil.
The district Nazim on Wednesday visited various polling stations in the Tehsil and Wah Cantt to review the security arrangements.
All steps have been taken to ensure security of voters and fair balloting, the district Nazim was told in the briefing.
Mr Kiani asked the local police officials to deploy more police contingents at the sensitive polling stations to avoid any untoward incident.
He said the district government was taking special measures to provide a secure atmosphere to the polling staff. Nobody would be allowed to disturb peaceful atmosphere anywhere in the district, he added.