ISLAMABAD: The government decided on Friday not to deploy army troops at polling stations and sought from provinces within three days requisition for civil forces’ personnel.

The decision was taken at a meeting on law and order presided over by caretaker Prime Minister retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, caretaker Information Minister Arif Nizami said the army would not be deployed at sensitive polling stations but it would be kept in reserve close to cantonment areas to act as a quick response force on the basis of need.

Caretaker Law Minister Ahmar Bilal Soofi and Secretary of Interior Khawaja Siddiq Akbar attended the press conference.

The government’s decision is contrary to the declared position of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that army would be deployed at all sensitive polling stations in Karachi and other parts of the country.

A senior ECP official told Dawn that the decision for army deployment at sensitive polling stations had been taken by the ECP.

He said letters had been sent to the Secretary of Defence, Secretary of Interior, Chief Secretaries, Inspectors General of Police and representatives of law-enforcement agencies, inviting them to attend a meeting on April 25.

Mr Nizami said the meeting was informed that outlawed outfits had forged a nexus to sabotage the elections. But, he said, the meeting decided to cope with all challenges, plug the loopholes in security and take steps to improve law and order.

He said arrangements would be made to protect national leaders, candidates, foreign observers, media personnel and voters. He ruled out postponement of elections despite alarming pre-poll violence and said the military establishment and the government were on the same page on the issue.

The minister said a policy of crackdown on display of arms would be followed with some exceptions to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the meeting decided that candidates would hold corner meetings within pre-specified enclosed venues and they would have to inform the district administration in advance. Several remarks made by the minister clearly indicated a communication gap between the government and the ECP.

He said the number of polling stations and polling staff across the country would be 90,000 and 450,000 respectively. But, according to a draft polling scheme prepared by the ECP, the number of polling stations is 72,188 and that of staff will be 700,000.

Mr Nizami said that the chief minister of Balochistan had suggested targeted operations against separatists in his province while KPK chief minister said that about 10,000 personnel would be required for security duty during elections.

Prime Minister Khoso told the meeting that maintaining law and order was a big challenge for the government.

He, however, said it was heartening to note that all parties, representing the entire political spectrum, had decided to be part of the mainstream political process.

“This shows their confidence in the democratic dispensation. However, this confidence has been seriously affected by recent killings of prominent party candidates belonging to major political parties.

The meeting was attended also by caretaker federal ministers, chief ministers of the provinces except Sindh, Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Director General of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Inspectors General of Police.