20,000 police officers were sent in when 408 Punjabi polling places were deemed extremely sensitive.

A thorough security plan has been finalized by Punjab police for the by-elections scheduled for Sunday (today) in national and provincial constituencies throughout the province.

More than 20,000 police officers and staff have been sent in to handle election security tasks, according to a Punjab Police official.

Punjab Police would provide a safe and tranquil atmosphere for voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote without fear or hesitation, according to IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar.

He reiterated that any infractions of Section 144, the Election Commission’s code of conduct, and the prohibition on carrying or exhibiting firearms will be met with a strict zero tolerance stance.

According to the IG, police officers have been stationed at 2,792 polling places throughout Punjab, including 939 polling places for men, 889 polling places for women, and 964 joint polling places.

Of them, 1,032 have been deemed sensitive and 408 highly sensitive. All extremely critical polling places have CCTV cameras installed, and real-time monitoring of the voting process will be possible.

The Central Police Office, Safe Cities Authority, and district control and monitoring rooms will be responsible for overseeing security.

“The police force is confident and firmly committed to ensuring peaceful and transparent by-elections,” Dr. Usman Anwar continued. “Any attempt by terrorists, miscreants, or anti-state elements to disrupt the process will be thwarted with full force,” he added, adding that the security, logistics, communication, and transportation plan was established in close consultation with appropriate institutions.

While female police officers will work at women’s polling places and booths, personnel from the Punjab Constabulary, PHP, Elite Force, SPU, and Training Branch will also be assigned to election-related tasks.