Pakistan Army can’t participate in elections due to security concerns.
The army has cited the security of the borders and the country as their first priority. During a session of the Election Commission regarding the election duty of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, the Defence Secretary and Additional Defence Secretary briefed the commission about the current situation of the country.
Officials from of the defence ministry informed the session participants on the situation on the borders, the deployment of the army in the country, and the overall law-and-order situation.
“The army attaches importance to its primary duties, and the security of the borders and the country is its first priority. Due to the current situation in the country, the Pakistan Army is not available for election duty at this time,” the ministry’s officials said.
Furthermore, the army is affected by the country’s current economic situation. The ruling government will decide whether to limit the army to main responsibilities or to allocate it secondary duties such as election duty. If the army is assigned election duty, troops will be deployed in rapid reaction (QRF) mode, with no static deployment options. The army has stated that the protection of the country’s borders is their first concern.
The announcement comes ahead of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly elections scheduled for April and May, respectively. The polls for the Punjab Assembly elections will be held on April 30, as ordered by the Supreme Court. The election schedule has also been announced, and nomination papers are being submitted.
Because there has been a significant increase in terror attacks in Pakistan in recent months, many of which have taken lives, security forces have increased their fight against terrorists.
A total of three important meetings of the Election Commission were held, which were attended by members of the commission, the ECP secretary, and other senior officers. The decision by the Pakistan Army to not be available for election duty reflects the gravity of the security situation in the country.
