Pakistan is on high alert for the elections; there are 90,000 voting places and heavy security.
The nation is gearing up for a safe and efficient voting procedure as the general elections draw near. There are currently 90,675 voting places in the nation; of these, 18,437 are classified as very sensitive or sensitive because they pose a security concern.
Additionally, it has been determined that 26,628 voting places are sensitive and 44,610 are normal. 6,040 voting places in Punjab, 4,143 in KP, 6,524 in Sindh, and 1,730 in Balochistan have been deemed extremely sensitive.
Police sources claim that 26,000 officers—2,000 of them are women—are being sent to guard over 4,300 voting places in Lahore.
Security Arrangements:
- Nationwide Deployment: More than 30,000 police officers will be stationed in Punjab, while more than 150,000 security forces, comprising police, Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Corps, and army troops, would be present in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Sensitive regions: The Lahore police have geotagged voting places and very sensitive regions for better surveillance. Section 40 forbids bringing firearms close to voting places; violators may face severe consequences. Adversarial groups have also provided surety bonds.
- Surveillance and reaction: At a cost of more than Rs1 billion, more than 30,000 CCTV cameras have been installed, and several security agencies’ fast reaction units would be ready to go.
519 search operations were conducted, 51,000 persons were examined, and 10 fugitives were taken into custody between January 1 and February 5. In Punjab, 130,000 policemen have been posted to guard 49,000 polling places. Additionally, 30,000 CCTV cameras have been erected, costing Rs1.35 billion, and geotagging of polling places and extremely sensitive regions has been finished.
There will be severe consequences for breaking Section 144. Election day patrolling would be ensured, according to police authorities, by the Pakistan Army, Rangers, and police personnel.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Preparations:
- Employees and Polling Places: A total of 150,838 employees will be assigned to guard the 15,697 polling places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of which 4,134 are considered very sensitive and 5,463 are considered sensitive.
- Poll Papers and Postponements: A total of 4.44 million ballots have been printed and dispersed throughout the province. Three seats’ elections have been postponed because of the passing of candidates.
- Training and Readiness: Security measures are in place even in places with snowfall, and over 166,000 employees have received election-related training.
Voters and Expectations:
More than 120 million people are eligible to vote in the next elections, with the goal of choosing members for the national and local assemblies.
Economic Concerns and Stable administration: According to public opinion polls, people want a stable administration that can deal with social concerns, unemployment, and economic difficulties.
Elections that are Peaceful and Fair: In spite of security worries, voters want an election process that is both peaceful and fair and accurately represents their wishes.