'Pakistan to deploy army for polls duty'
{image-Pakistan
Army_26122007.jpg
news.oneindia.in}
Islamabad,
Dec
26:
Pakistan"s
caretaker
Interior
Minister
Hamid
Nawaz
has
said
that
the
army
would
be
deployed
at
sensitive
places
in
Pakistan
during
the
January
8
polls.
“The army will not directly interfere in the elections. However, it will remain on standby," he said, added that the Rangers and police would be deployed on routes leading to all polling stations. He said that the decision to deploy the army rested with the Election Commission (EC) and the provinces. “Peaceful elections could be held in Pakistan because law and order had returned to normalcy. There had been some problems in the tribal areas and Swat, but these had been solved to a great extent," he said. Hamid further added that candidates in the Kurram Agency have started their campaign, while local peace committees have also been made and the situation will be normal before the elections."
The EC has turned down a demand by Pakistan People"s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto that arrangements for the poll should be handed over to the Pakistan Army.
EC
Secretary
Kanwar
Muhammad
Khan
Dilshad
said
the
Commission
was
not
considering
handing
over
election
supervision
to
the
Army,
The
News
quoted.
ANI>