LG polls: Rangers to be deployed at sensitive polling stations

Karachi
Rangers personnel will be deployed at sensitive polling stations during the second phase of local government elections in Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, scheduled for November 19, said Sindh information minister Nisar Khuhro on Thursday.
Talking to newsmen after a seminar, he said — perhaps in referral to the violence which had erupted in Khairpur on October 31 — that during the first phase of local bodies election, Rangers had only been restricted to patrol the polling stations.
However, he said, for the second phase of polling to be held in 15 districts of Sindh, a rapid response force will be established, while police and Rangers will also be deployed for maintaining law and order.
Khuhro said the Sindh government will soon write to the Election Commission of Pakistan to request the presence of Pakistan Army personnel as a back-up force for the law-enforcement agencies to tackle any emergency situation on November 19.
Answering a question, he said, the leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), Pir Pagara, was a sensible politician so he probably will not resort to any undemocratic course of agitation in retaliation to violent incident in Khairpur.
The minister said an investigation team had been appointed by the government and it had begun to collect evidence regarding the incident. Besides, he said, a judicial inquiry will also take place. Khuhro said the police had also registered a case regarding Khairpur violence and will begin to make arrests soon.
Earlier, speaking at the seminar, Khuhro announced that soon an amendment bill regarding right to information will be tabled in the Sindh Assembly after the draft was approved by the chief minister and the cabinet. He said after passage of the proposed amendment bill, government officials will be in a better position to share relevant information with the media and people.