KARACHI: While police and Rangers troops would be deployed at polling stations, the Sindh administration on Monday decided to install around 3,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations during the first phase of the local government elections scheduled to be held on June 26.

The decision came at a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput to discuss security and administrative plan for the first phase of local government polls.

The meeting was also attended by Provincial Election Commissioner Aijaz Anwar Chohan, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Home Secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangrejo and other senior officials.

In the first phase, the polling would be held on June 26 in four divisions of the province — Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas.

A statement issued after the meeting said that it was decided to provide all facilities and resources to the Election Commission of Pakistan for the peaceful conduct of elections.

The meeting was informed that the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) had already been asked to ensure uninterrupted power supply on the polling day.

It was decided at the meeting that Rangers and police would be deployed at 2,980 highly sensitive polling stations where CCTV cameras would also be installed for effective monitoring and security surveillance.

“The chief secretary while instructing all the divisional commissioners said that the missing facilities at the polling stations should be completed in two days,” the statement said.

He said that other facilities, including provision of water for voters and ramps for the disabled, should be met.

He assured the provincial election commissioner that security and other arrangements would be made for the peaceful conduct of the LG polls.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2022