Islamabad, Jan 23 (PTI) The Pakistan government on Tuesday formally decided to deploy regular Army troops to provide security during the February 8 elections.
The decision to deploy the Army was taken in a meeting of the cabinet that was chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.
The summary for deployment of troops was moved by the Ministry of Interior.
“The federal cabinet approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces troops for the peaceful conduct of general elections on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry,” according to an official statement issued at the end of the cabinet meeting.
“These forces will perform duties at sensitive constituencies and polling stations and will also act as a rapid response force,” the statement further said.
The decision comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought 277,000 Army personnel to be deployed across the country to maintain security, and law and order situation across the country on February 8 when over 126 million Pakistani voters cast their votes.
The armed forces are deployed under the Constitution in aid of the civil administration to provide security or any other services required by the government which authorises any such deployment through an approval by the cabinet.
The Army already announced that it was ready to provide any kind of help to carry out the electoral exercise as the country faces the rising threat of militancy.
The year 2023 was one of the worst since 2015 due to terror-related incidents.
Earlier this month, an independent candidate, Kaleemullah Khan — who was eyeing to contest polls for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s PK-104 — was shot dead in the restive North Waziristan district.
Also, at the same time a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader, Shah Khalid, was also killed in Swabi after unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on his car.
Owing to the precarious situation, caretaker Prime Minister Kakar set up a high-level committee to oversee security for the polls.
