19 Politicians in Punjab under threat during election: IG Police
LAHORE, Jan 17: A crucial meeting led by the Chief Election Commissioner to assess the security situation for the upcoming general elections in 2024 has come to an end. The Election Commission convened the meeting to review the security scenario, with top officials from all four provinces, including representatives from federal and provincial police.
The meeting was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. After the session, Punjab Inspector General (IG) addressed the media representatives. During the press interaction, IG Punjab Dr. Osman Anwar was asked about the number of political leaders under security threats in Punjab. He responded that there are security threats to 19 politicians in Punjab but, due to security reasons, their names cannot be disclosed.
He further stated, "In Punjab, there are security threats against 19 politicians. For security reasons, I cannot disclose the names of politicians based on security considerations."
IG Punjab also highlighted that Punjab is currently facing a shortage of 92,000 security personnel. He added, "The security situation in Punjab is conducive for the elections, and a hundred and twenty-five thousand security personnel have been mobilized for election duties. Note that the interim government has decided to appoint thousands of security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of the 2024 general elections."
According to foreign media reports, the elections scheduled for February 8, 2024, in Pakistan are already marred by allegations of rigging. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan is in jail, and he is not allowed to participate in the elections. Incidents of violence occurred in previous election campaigns, targeting both candidates and voters. Commander Mazhar Ansari mentioned that approximately 5,000 Frontier Constabulary (FC) forces would be deployed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adjacent to the Afghanistan border, during the first week of February.
