The defense ministry of Pakistan categorically said that the Pakistan army will not be available for poll duty in the upcoming provincial elections due to the country’s “current situation,” as informed by the ministry to the election commission.
The Election Commission of Pakistan met with top Punjab officials as well as the secretary and additional secretary of the defence ministry to discuss election security.
Elections in Pakistan’s Punjab province are scheduled to be held on 30 April. Whereas, the governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has proposed to hold the elections on 28 May.
The Defence Secretary, Lt Gen (retd), Hamood Uz Zaman Khan led a team from his ministry to a meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
Earlier on Tuesday, during a press statement, Election Commission revealed that the defence secretary along with Additional Secretary Maj Gen Khurram Sarfraz Khan briefed the CEC and ECP officials on the country’s prevalent situation and the military’s deployment.
A statement of the ECP reads, “They said that the army attaches importance to its basic duties, in which the security of the borders and the country is its first priority. They said that the army is not available for election duty at this time due to the present situation in the country.”