Pakistan’s armed forces play a crucial role in ensuring security and maintaining law and order during the electoral process. As per Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the military will assist in the conduct of the elections, with specific duties outlined for different tiers.
The police will be the primary force responsible for maintaining law and order during the election, while civil armed forces such as Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) will handle security in the second phase. The Pakistan Army will act as a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) in the third tier, deployed in general polling areas to address any security situations that may arise.
Personnel from the civil armed forces and the Pakistan Army will collaborate to create a secure environment for the smooth functioning of District Returning Officers, Returning Officers (ROs), Presiding Officers (POs), and polling staff.
The Civil Armed Forces will be exclusively engaged in guarding the printing press during the production of ballot papers, ensuring the integrity of the electoral materials.
Under the regulations set by Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, Section 193 of the Elections Act 2017, and Article 220 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the armed forces will perform their duties, abiding by the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The exhibition of weapons will be prohibited under Section 144 on election day, emphasizing the need for a peaceful and secure electoral environment.
The police, Civil Armed Forces, and Pakistan Army will respectively handle Tiers One, Two, and Three, with strict adherence to their designated roles and responsibilities.
Additionally, measures such as strip searches by civil armed forces before entering polling station premises aim to ensure that no prohibited items or weapons are carried inside. While maintaining a focused role outside highly sensitive polling stations, the Armed Forces will not interfere in the counting process but will diligently ensure a peaceful conclusion to the counting process.
In case of irregularities or issues, the civil armed forces and Pakistan Army are instructed to report to their officer-in-charge promptly, allowing for necessary legal actions to be taken.
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Earlier, 262nd Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) presided over by General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on Wednesday unanimously agreed to expose India's blatant violation of international laws and its true intentions to the world.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), during the conference, tributes were paid to the supreme sacrifices made by the Shuhadas, including officers, soldiers of the Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, and citizens who have laid down their lives to ensure peace and stability in the country.
The Forum resolved that terrorists, their facilitators and abettors, working on behest of hostile forces to destabilise Pakistan, will be dealt with full might of the state.
The COAS stated that Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are sacrosanct and inviolable. While Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence with all states, however, there will be no compromise over country’s sovereignty, national honour and aspirations of Pakistani people.
The conference also discussed India's campaign of extraterritorial and extrajudicial killings, which perpetuates state-sponsored terrorism and targets Pakistani citizens. The forum unanimously agreed to expose India’s blatant violation of international laws and its true intentions to the world. The international community has already expressed serious concerns over the criminal behaviour of India and its use of state apparatus for killing spree around the world.
