LAHORE:Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana on Wednesday said that a comprehensive security plan has been finalised for the by-elections.
Special security measures would be taken to provide security for peaceful conduct of by-elections and protection of voters, supporters and candidates.
More than 7,000 police officers and officials including SPs, SDPOs, SHOs and subordinate officers would be deputed for security of election process.
The CCPO said this while reviewing security measures for by-election preparations during a meeting here.
Bilal Siddique Kamyana directed supervisory police officers to ensure law and order, security and logistical arrangements including visit of polling station buildings, surrounding areas, returning officers camp offices and duty points so as to complete all necessary arrangements ahead of time in wake of the sensitivity of the forthcoming by-elections.
Installation of CCTV cameras for monitoring in and around polling station buildings, barbed wire for security, metal detectors, walk-through gates, ladies search cabin and other security and logistics arrangements should be finalized well before time, CCPO added. He directed police officers to remain in constant liaison with all stakeholders including District Returning Officer (DRO), Monitoring and Presiding Officers, district administration along with candidates during the election campaign and polling process to ensure peace.
Bilal Siddique Kamyana directed to take indiscriminate action against the elements who could cause possible chaos, disorder and provocation on the eve of the polling day as well as on going election campaign.
He said that it was the responsibility of the concerned SPs, SDPOs, SHOs and other concerned officers to keep the election campaign and polling process peaceful as any negligence and careless would not be tolerated at any cost. The CCPO continued that during polling, supervisory officers including SDPOs would be the clusters in-charges while SHOs and upper subordinate staff would be in buildings and polling stations in-charges to ensure security.
In addition to the safe delivery of the relevant polling material to the polling stations and camp offices of the District Returning Officers, the deputed police personnel would be on high alert till the votes counting process would completed. Candidates and their supporters should abide by the code of conduct of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) during the election campaign otherwise strict legal action would be initiated against them, Bilal Siddique Kamyana added.
The CCPO said that carrying and displaying weapons was prohibited under Section 144 imposed by the Home Department and police have been ensuring full implementation of this prohibition under zero tolerance, he asserted.