• By-elections in three constituencies of the Punjab Assembly and nine of the National Assembly will be held on October 16 (Sunday).
• The ECP said the appointment of Rangers, FC, and Army for the by-polls had been made from October 15 to 17.
• The authorised officers of the three forces had also been given first class magistrate’s powers, the election commission said.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued a notification regarding deployment of army, rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) in the constituencies where by-elections are going to be held.

By-elections in three constituencies of the Punjab Assembly and nine of the National Assembly will be held on October 16 (Sunday).

The ECP said the appointment of Rangers, FC, and Army for the by-polls had been made from October 15 to 17.

The authorised officers of the three forces had also been given first class magistrate’s powers, the election commission said.

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On October 4, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had said deployment of Pakistan Army, Rangers or Frontier Corps personnel would be ensured at the most sensitive polling stations during upcoming by-elections.

The ECP secretary had said he had written letters to the Ministry of Defence and Interior seeking deployment of Pakistan, Army, Rangers and EC personnel in by-polls. He had said all the arrangements regarding the polls had been finalized.

An ECP meeting, presided by the chief election commissioner, was briefed that by-elections in nine constituencies of the National Assembly and three of provincial assembly would be held on October 16.

Whereas, the ECP had said second phase of local bodies elections in Sindh would be held in Karachi on October 23. “The Sindh government has said that it does not have police force for holding the local government elections,” the ECP had apprised.

Hence, it had said, the provincial government had requested the election commission to postpone the second phase of elections for three months. However, the ECP has rejected the Sindh government’s request.