Troops have been deployed for the elections under the Constitution, says ISPR

Photo: AFP

The Inter Services Public Relations has said that troops have been called for election security under the Constitution. 

“The ECP has requisitioned Pakistan armed forces [soldiers] under Article 220 and 245 of the Constitution to assist them in free, fair and transparent conduct of the elections 2018,” ISPR stated in a press release. It went on to state that the troops would do their duties to ensure that the people of Pakistan are able to vote in safe and secure environments.

The ECP stated that 370,000 military personnel will be deployed for duties on election day.

The commission has said that 180,000 active serving officers will be deployed for duty while another 190,000 reserved troops will be stationed at polling stations.

Some political parties objected to the deployment of the military saying that its traditional election duties have been limited to ensuring security.

“It is a new first,” Farhatullah Babar, a former senator from the PPP, told Reuters. “Governance, society and politics have already been militarised dangerously.”

The army will remain neutral, ISPR Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor told the media this month.

“The Pakistan Army’s role is to support the election commission with the tasks they have asked us to help it with,” he said.

Imran Khan’s PTI, on the other hand, welcomed the order.

“The ECP is supposed to ensure free and fair elections and this step seems to be in that direction,” said party spokesperson Naeemul Haq.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2018/07/troops-have-been-deployed-for-the-elections-under-the-constitution-says-ispr/