Pakistan Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday formed a seven-member committee mandated with ensuring the smooth conduct of the upcoming February 8 general elections as well as overseeing their security arrangements.
According to a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) —pakistan interim Minister for Communications, Railways, and Maritime Affairs Shahid Ashraf Tarar has been choosen as the head of the committee.
The other members include the home secretary, four State chief secretaries as well as any other co-opted individual desired by the committee.
As per the PMO notification, the committee will have the mandate to oversee the security arrangements for polls; review and resolve matters regarding administrative arrangements and coordination for the smooth conduct of elections; issue directions for urgent requirements of additional security where law and order situation requires, and implement directions of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding smooth and orderly conduct of polls
The notification further added the National Crisis Management Cell of the Ministry of home affairs will serve as the committee secretariat.
Exactly three weeks away on February 8, the Pakistanis will vote in delayed polls already marred by allegations of pre-poll rigging, with former prime minister Imran Khan jailed and barred from contesting.
Previous election campaigns have shown spasms of violence, with scores of candidates and voters hit by bombings and gun attacks.
In the first week of February, some 5,000 paramilitary Frontier Constabulary forces will deploy to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan, commander Moazzam Jah Ansari had told AFP.
Last week, an independent candidate running in KP was killed, as well as his two aides when his car was hit by a series of gunfire as he campaigned in the state.
A senior regional government official had told AFP there was a “deteriorating security situation”, and “additional police teams will be deployed at polling stations” on voting day.
Acknowledging the presence of threats in various parts of the country, top federal government and security officials had assured the Pakistan polls watchdog a day ago of their readiness to conduct general elections.
Overseeing preparations for the Feb 8 polls, with a focus on the law and order situation, the meeting chaired by Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was given assurances that all arrangements were in place to hold elections and deal with “any kind of situation”.
Last month, former interior minister Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti had said the ECP would be given the full security needed to hold the upcoming general elections in a peaceful environment.
