Army wants to stay away from polling stations.

KARACHI -- Unlike the 2018 general elections, the country's military wants to stay away from providing security for upcoming polling exercises. But while their personnel will not be deployed inside polling stations, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been assured of their availability as a 'quick reaction force' (QRF) in case a need arises during electioneering.

This was revealed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan in an interaction with journalists after chairing a meeting regarding the upcoming by-election in Karachi's NA-245, which had recently fallen vacant after death of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain.

'The ECP chief has recently sent a letter to the army chief seeking deployment of army troops for security [of the electoral process],' he said.

'However, it's now a policy of the armed forces that they want to stay away from the polling stations. We can't comment over that. But it's our utmost desire that there should be more than just flag marches and QRF. That's why the letter was sent to the army chief.'

ECP official says military, paramilitary personnel will remain in third-tier of security ring, will be available for 'quick response'

While he didn't comment on how sustainable the policy would prove to be, Mr Khan was sure that the upcoming local government elections in Sindh and by-polls across the country were likely to be held under similar guidelines.

Regarding the upcoming local bodies elections in Sindh and the off-and-on by-elections in different parts of the country, the ECP secretary made it clear that troops would not be deployed at polling stations, though the paramilitary Rangers force would 'stay close to the polling stations'.

When contacted, an ECP official confirmed that the armed forces had, in recent months, opted for positioning as the third tier of security for protective arrangements during recent elections - both the by-polls and local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police authorities, backed by the paramilitary forces - Pakistan Rangers and the Frontier Constabulary - performed duties as part of the first and second tier.

In the 2018 elections, the ECP had granted broad judicial powers to the armed forces at polling stations in a rare move that had attracted serious criticism by the majority of political parties and human rights groups. At the time, about 371,000 troops were deployed across the country to control security arrangements; about three times the...