ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday has requested the deployment of army troops at the three printing presses where ballot papers for the forthcoming 2018 general elections are to be printed.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed to Arab News on June 21 the deployment of 350,000 troops as requested by the electoral body. The army is set to take over security of the Printing Corporation of Pakistan on Wednesday (June 27).
The military personnel will then take up election duties four days before the election.
According to local media, printing presses in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad will all be secured by the armed forces. The distribution of ballot papers is also to be conducted under army supervision.
While the army has previously been given the duty of securing the general elections, the number of troops requested now is unprecedented.
Two security officials can now be stationed inside and two outside some 85,000 polling stations.
ECP requests 350,000 troops for security of Pakistan printing presses
ECP requests 350,000 troops for security of Pakistan printing presses
- The Ministry of Defense confirmed to Arab News on June 21 the deployment of 350,000 troops as requested by the electoral body
- Two security officials can be stationed inside and two outside 85,000 polling stations for election duty
Pakistan cold wave to persist into February as more snow forecast in north
- Cold wave to last until Feb 1 nationwide, longer in northern regions
- Authorities urge tourists to avoid unnecessary travel during snowfall
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ongoing cold wave is expected to persist across much of the country until the end of the month, with freezing conditions likely to continue into mid-February in mountainous northern regions as more rain and snowfall are forecast, a senior meteorological official said on Tuesday.
The warning comes as a fresh western weather system is set to bring intermittent rain and light-to-moderate snowfall to parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and northern Punjab, raising concerns over travel disruptions and road safety in mountainous areas.
“The cold wave in the country will continue until February 1, but in Murree, the Galyat region, and other hilly areas, this wave will persist until February 15,” Anjum Nazir Zaigham, Deputy Director at the Met Department, told Arab News.
The Galyat region refers to a cluster of hill resorts and mountain towns in northern Pakistan, straddling parts of Murree and Abbottabad districts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“This season, 102 inches of snow were recorded in Malam Jabba, 67 inches in Kalam, 37 inches in Babusar, and 30 inches in Murree,” he added.
Pakistan has experienced one of its harsher winter spells this season, with heavy snowfall recorded at several popular hill stations, prompting authorities to restrict vehicle movement in vulnerable areas and deploy additional personnel to manage traffic and emergency response, particularly in tourist destinations such as Murree.
In an advisory issued Tuesday afternoon, the Met Office said westerly winds were likely to bring further intermittent rain and snowfall over areas including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Buner, Murree, the Galyat region, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan over the next few hours.
Authorities have also urged tourists to avoid unnecessary travel during snowfall, while local administrations have been coordinating snow clearance, traffic diversions and emergency services.
Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Pakistan’s scenic north every winter to witness snowfall, often neglecting warnings from disaster management authorities.
In January 2022, at least 21 people, including children, died after they were stuck in freezing temperatures during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree.
