The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday directed the armed forces set to be deployed for election duty not to assume the duties of the polling staff under any circumstances. In its notification, the election regulator asked the security personnel to “remain impartial and neutral throughout the election process in general and during the voting process in particular and shall not act in favour of or against any political party or candidate”.
It said that the security personnel belonging to armed forces and civil armed forces deputed on election duty would perform their duties in accordance with the role of armed forces defined in Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the law and within the confines of the mandate assigned to armed forces to assist ECP in the conduct of the general elections.
The army personnel will perform their duties outside the polling stations in sensitive constituencies to provide a “secure environment for easy and secure access of voters to polling stations”. Defining their responsibilities, the ECP said: “[at the polling station,] police will be 1st tier responders, while civil armed forces [and] armed forces as 2nd and 3rd tier responders, respectively.”
The ECP said that the troops would provide security during the transportation of ballot papers from printing presses to the office of district returning officers. Similarly, the security personnel would ensure security, during transportation of election material from offices of returning officers to polling stations and back, after completion of the polling and counting process.
The election regulator said that each officer and junior commissioned officer of the armed forces and the civil armed forces would exercise powers delegated to them via a notification issued on January 25 by the ECP. The personnel would facilitate the provision of a secure environment so as to enable DROs, ROs, presiding officers and polling staff to accomplish their assigned tasks.
While dealing with voters and election staff, observe politeness, and display immaculate behaviour while remaining firm and just in dealing, in accordance with the law while addressing any situation, the election watchdog advised the troops.
