The Election Commission of Pakistan has decided to obtain the services of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies to fulfill the shortage of police officers in the general elections.
The Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Omar Hamid, sent a letter to the Secretary Interior, Ataullah Durrani, informing about the shortage of police officers in all provinces during the general elections and recommended the deployment of static contingents of the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies at polling stations.
The letter stated that there are currently 328,510 officers available nationwide, with a shortage of 277,558 officers, while 591,106 officers are required for the elections across the country.
The letter also mentioned the need to ensure the deployment of security personnel by the Frontier Constabulary, Rangers, and Azad Kashmir Police. It highlighted the requirement of 149,777 officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 33,462 officers in Sindh, and 13,769 officers in Balochistan.
In view of the delicate security situation in the country, the letter emphasized the necessity of deploying personnel from the armed forces and paramilitary forces to fulfill the shortage of officers.
The Secretary of the Election Commission further stated that the deployment of armed forces and paramilitary forces is essential to address the shortage of officers and ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections.