RAWALPINDI: In addition to 6,000 Punjab police personnel, 150 police personnel from the security division of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police have been assigned for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) election duty, with a total of 2,000 personnel expected to be dispatched to the region.
General elections in GB are scheduled for Sunday, with election campaigns already underway by major political parties.
The 150 police personnel selected from the security division for GB election duty had been guarding high-profile buildings and installations in the federal capital, as well as performing sensitive security duties, such as escorting foreign delegations.
They will leave for GB on Thursday amid tight security and will be back in Islamabad on June 9 (Tuesday).
Of the 150 ICT police personnel, 30 personnel have been selected from the Special Protection Unit (SPU), five from the President’s House, 20 from the Prime Minister’s House, six from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), 10 from the Foreign Office (FO) guard duty and 10 from the high security zone.
The security division wing of Islamabad police has been guarding several high-profile buildings, including the President’s House, the PM House, PMO, National Assembly, Police Lines, Special Services Group (SSG) Lines and the District Judicial Complex.
The security division also escorts foreign delegations visiting Islamabad and its SPU is deputed with Chinese nationals.
Meanwhile, convoys of Punjab police personnel to be deployed in GB for election security duty started departing from Rawalpindi and Lahore on Tuesday, escorted by armed police personnel and accompanied by Rescue 1122 ambulance to ensure their safe transportation.
“The deployed escort will not leave the convoy without handing it over to another district’s escort,” a directive from the additional inspector general (AIG) operations said.
According to sources, a convoy of 18 buses carrying 1,028 police personnel of Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) left Police Lines Headquarters Rawalpindi for GB on Tuesday.
The Punjab police chief has directed Rawalpindi City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani, the Lahore capital city police officer, regional police officers of Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Sargodha, and the district police chiefs to ensure the provision of security to police convoys travelling to GB.
