LAHORE: Punjab Rangers personnel assisted the Punjab Police to provide foolproof security during polling for by-elections to 20 constituencies in 14 districts of Punjab on Sunday/
Overall the polling held in a peaceful environment except some incidents of violence in different areas, Deputy Director-General Rangers who visited all Lahore constituencies following orders of Rangers DG Maj-Gen Asif Hussain. Deputy DG Shehzad Muneer inspected the security readiness. According to the spokesperson for Punjab Rangers, the Deputy DG was satisfied with the security situation and said that the overall situation is under control.
He added that Pakistan rangers prepared to counter any law and order situation amid the by-polls. “No one would be allowed to break the law,” the Deputy DG declared.
On the other hand, the Punjab Police expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the polling for the by-elections to the 20 Punjab Assembly seats held in 14 districts of the province. According to Punjab IG Police Rao Sardar Ali, as many 52,000 police personnel were deployed at all the 3, 131 polling stations set up across the province. The IGP said that overall the by-elections were held in a peacefully manner, adding that the Punjab Police under the directives of the ECP, had taken effective measures for security of the polling stations. He said he constantly monitoring the polling process from the control room set up at Central Police Office and paid tribute to the police forces for best security arrangements on the occasion.
Meanwhile, CCPO Lahore DIG Bilal Siddique Kamyana said more than 10,000 policemen were deployed at sensitive places of four constituencies in the provincial metropolis during by-elections to ensure foolproof security.
The CCPO visited various polling stations, camp offices, and police pickets in the provincial capital and reviewed security arrangements. CTO Muntazer Mehdi, SSP, SDPOs and officers concerned accompanied him. The CCPO also met officials deployed in various points and briefed them to remain alert.
CCPO Bilal Kamyana directed officials posted on election duty to remain at their respective points till the completion of all stages of the election process. He said no one would be allowed to take the law into hands as there would be no compromise on maintaining law and order besides protecting life and properties of people.
Aerial firing and show of weapons were strictly prohibited under section 144 and legal action will be taken against the violators, he added. Bilal Kamyana also reviewed the polling process and police duty from the operations and monitoring center of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA).
PSCA Chief Operating Officer Muhammad Kamran Khan gave a detailed briefing about monitoring process with the help of CCTV cameras installed at different sensitive polling stations.
