The Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Agha Shah Nawaz Babar who is also Convenor/Chairman of District Election Committee Hyderabad said that foolproof logistic & security plan are being worked out and to be put in place to ensure free, fair and impartial elections in the district. He was presiding over a meeting of District Election Co-ordination Committee Hyderabad here at Shahbaz Hall, Shahbaz Building, Hyderabad, today.
The Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad said that in addition to maintain security, throughout pre- and post-election period, supply of electoral material, human resources well in time, provision of uninterrupted electric supply, drinking water, efficient sewerage system, sufficient transportation at polling stations to be the main tasks of his committee which would be meted out in such a way so that not only the staff of Election Commission but also voters should not feel any difficulty during the process of voting. He said that code of conduct issued by Election Commission of Pakistan would be applied on all stakeholders without any discrimination.
He asked the Heads of District, Provincial and Federal Government departments not only to nominate their Election Focal Person but also submit their detailed list of vehicles and officials for assignment of election duty. However, he urged upon the Provincial Election Commission to spare the doctors, paramedics from election duty so that they should fully concentrate on providing health facilities to the ailing people.
The Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad also directed the officers of district and provincial Health Departments to work out for health emergency in their hospitals, and medical units to meet any eventuality of health emergency. He also directed the Revenue Officers to visit the hospitals and identify the lacking facilities so that same may be provided to them before the emergency. He also directed the officers of HESCO, T&T, H.D.A, WASA to ensure their efficient services from pre- and post-election period. While talking about foolproof security measures, the Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad said that District Police Hyderabad in co-ordination with Rangers are preparing security contingency plan. Besides all the intelligence agencies are in active co-ordination to foil the nefarious designs of law breakers.
The SSP Hyderabad Hafeez Afzal Baig while briefing the meeting said that a security contingency plan with support of 8,000 security personnel has been prepared and which is to be put in place to maintain law-and-order situation during the forthcoming general elections. He said that though no security threat has been received from any quarter till yet even then instead of that we are undertaking all precautionary measures to coop with the situation with success. He said that law and order would be maintained in such a way so that each voter to exercise his/her right to vote without any fear. He said that sensitive polling stations would be put under strict vigilance. He said that a Control Room to monitor the security plan and give feedback to stakeholders has also been established in his office which would work round the clock from today.
The District Election Commissioner Hyderabad Asghar Siyal while talking in the meeting said that all preparations to ensure free, fair and impartial elections have been completed. He said that logistic and security plan are the main issues of next general elections which were being resolved efficiently by the local administration. He said that the officers nominated for election duty must have to report him well in time and perform their duties without any discrimination. However, he expressed his reservation on the services of HESCO and said that frequently interruption in electric supply is creating problems for his work. He said that the uninterrupted electric supply nowadays especially from 04pm to onwards is essentially needed from transmission election information to the higher authorities.