ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Defence apprised Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that Army would not be available for election duty due to ongoing security situation in country and on borders.

It comes as elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are drawing near after Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered ECP to hold elections in both provinces. Elections are scheduled to be held in Punjab on April 30 and in KP and on May 28. Election watchdog stated in press release that election chief Sikandar Sultan Raja held three important meetings in connection with holding elections. In third meeting, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Hamood Uz Zaman Khan and Additional Secretary Maj Gen Khurram Sarfraz Khan informed ECP that Army was not available to be deployed for elections in provinces.

Defence secretaries added that country’s economic situation was also impacting Army ending statement by saying that it would be government’s prerogative to call military for “Secondary duties” such as elections. “They also clarified that in case of election duty, Army can be deployed in quick reaction force mode but it is not possible to perform duty in static mode,” press release read. It merits mention that Army  had turned down ECP’s request earlier seeking deployment of military and Rangers’ troops outside all highly sensitive polling stations along with quick response force for second phase of local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 15 2023

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