ISLAMABAD: The Defence Ministry on Tuesday informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that the Pakistan Army would not be available for polls duty this year due to the “country’s situation,” noting that the security of the borders and the country was the “top priority of the army.”
During the ECP’s third meeting regarding the elections of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provincial assemblies — chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja — Secretary Defence Lieutenant General (retd) Hamood Uz Zaman Khan and Additional Secretary Defence Major General Khurram Sarfaraz Khan briefed the meeting about the current situation of the country, ECP stated in a press release.
Pakistan has been witnessing a sharp increase in terror incidents for the last few months, which have taken the lives of several people. As a result, the security forces have launched operations against militants across the country.
Defence Ministry officials brief ECP about country’s situation
The officials of the ministry of defence apprised the participants of the session about the situation on the borders, the deployment of the army in the country, and the overall law-and-order situation.
“The army attaches great importance to its primary duties, and the security of the borders and the country is its top priority. Due to the prevailing situation in the country, the Pakistan Army will not be available for election duty at this time,” the ministry’s officials said.
“Moreover, the country’s current economic situation has an effect on the army as well. And this will be the decision of the government whether it restricts the army to the performance of primary duties or assigns secondary duties to it — i.e., election duty.”
The officials also clarified that if the army is assigned poll duty, troops would be deployed in quick response force (QRF) mode, and static deployment of troops would not be possible.
