ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Monday said transparency in elections would be ensured with the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and termed it necessary to guarantee the electorate’s trust in the elections.
Talking to the reporters, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan has reaffirmed the commitment of his government to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
Ahmed said he fully endorsed the idea of using EVMs as Prime Minister Khan said these devices would resolve the issue of trust deficit in the apparatus.
He said the prime minister always spoke in favour of transparent elections and expressed his displeasure over the regime in use since the 1970s.
He said the prime minister was enjoying the support of MPs from his own party and allies. He said all members of the government and allied parties have one agenda that was to change the lives of the public.
Ahmed said the government was taking sincere steps to improve the professional capabilities of the Islamabad police. He said police were a frontline response unit and added it was necessary to keep the morale of the force high.
The minister directed the police officials to boost the morale of their subordinates which was also necessary for improving the performance of the police. He said that efforts were being made to include additional 2,000 policemen in Islamabad police.
He said that an MoU had been signed with the Punjab government for the start of the 1122-like rescue service in the capital.
The minister said the air patrolling unit of the Islamabad police, which consisted of high-tech drones and locators for live surveillance and tracking purposes, would initially patrol areas with high rates of burglaries, robberies, snatching, street crimes, and auto theft.
He said that apart from airborne tracking and surveillance, it would also be responsible for providing additional support to the on-ground patrol and specialized teams of the Islamabad police.
Ahmed said that while equipping the Islamabad police with the latest technology, they would significantly be able to ensure the safety of the public, decrease the crime rate, and consolidate the overall security of the capital.
He said that Islamabad police would be made the model and most advanced force in the country as they had adopted modern technology to tackle crimes, automate different processes, making the city safer for both residents and visitors.
He added the Islamabad police were facing more challenges as handling daily protests was not an easy task. He said the police had also installed security cameras across the capital under the Safe Cities project.
Ahmed said all heirs of the martyred police personnel would be covered under the package. He assured to increase the salaries of Islamabad Police besides starting a housing project for them.
