LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has demanded from the Punjab police to provide 420,000 police officials for election duty at 52,200 polling stations across Punjab. However, the Punjab police can only provide 100,000 officials for election duties, The Friday Times (TFT) has reliably learnt.
Speaking to TFT, a senior official at ECP explained that, “the ECP has separated polling stations across Punjab in three categories; in category A polling stations we requested they deploy 11 police officials, in B category polling stations we requested they deploy 8 police officials, while in C category police stations we requested the Punjab police deploy 5 police officials, which makes it around 420,000 officials across the province in total”.
Punjab police 'not in a position' to provide 420,000 personnel for election duties
Talking to TFT, a senior police official privy to this development at Lahore's central police office (CPO) said that the ECP’s formula of Punjab police providing 420,000 officials for election duty needed to be considered in terms of police manpower and deployment.
“Punjab police has between 200,000 to 225,000 officials including ministerial staff” against a required manpower of 500,000 for the province, the official said. He added that Punjab police has more than 1,200 offices and has also marked thousands of sensitive places across the province where police officials are performing round-the-clock duties vigilantly.
He further said that nearly 30,000 officials were already deployed on security details for foreign officials.
“Even utilising the officials from Punjab constabulary (PC) and police stations, we could hardly redeploy 100,000 officials at maximum for election duty,” a senior official said, while conceding that it would be less than 25 percent of ECP’s demand.
“IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar has suggested to the Punjab election commission that it request the federal government for additional force,” a senior official quoted the top police officer of the province as having said.
Thousands of police officials already deployed on protection duties
Another senior police official explained to TFT that there were seven battalions of Punjab constabulary. Each battalion had 1,550 officials in its units, making its total strength approximately 10,850, out of which 200 officials from one battalion were deployed for the security of the civil secretariat alone.
“Thousands of officials are deployed on security duties for bureaucrats, judges and their family members,” the senior official said.
Family of judges reportedly using security officials for 'personal errands'
“The families of judges are using these police officials who are educated as well for home chores like bring vegetables for home, taking clothes for laundry and other day to day uses instead of security duty,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity, adding that the wife of one of the judges was known for abusing police officials. A majority of officials are sick and tired of serving on protective security duties for judges, the official complained.
He maintained that these judges were taking police officials and vehicles from different cadres, including police stations, police lines, Punjab constabulary, elite force, and others. He confirmed that billions of rupees of taxpayer money were being spent on these security duties every year.
Retired judges also 'enjoying' state-financed security
The senior police official further said that a huge amount of some is spent on security of retired judges which is a huge burden on national exchequer. “In a country like Pakistan where we are already facing a financial crunch, such lavish spending on security of retired judges needs to be stopped immediately.”
Agreeing with him, another senior official said that it was strange the state was providing police officials for security of judges who had no threats anymore, but they enjoy the protocol and security staff for decades even after retirement, along with their children and future generations. “We need to redeploy these resources for the betterment of the police force, and better service to common people, as a number of these retired judges have the resources to hire private security on their own.”
DCs not cooperating with police officials deployed for digital census
Deputy commissioners across the province are also reported to not be cooperating with census duty staff, who are not provided with logistical arrangements or other allowances, due to which the staff are demotivated and disheartened as well.
“In such a situation where the census is not even completed as yet, Punjab police have neither the resources nor the manpower to provide 420,000 officials for election duty. The ECP has to ask for additional officials from the federal government. The federal government will also have to provide funds for logistics, transportation, and other expenses to the police force”.