Islamabad: The Ministry of Defence has refused itself from providing security for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Assembly elections and the by-elections of 93 National Assembly constituencies.
The defence ministry’s response came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requested the interior ministry to seek assistance from the armed forces to provide security cover during the elections.
In its letter to the interior ministry, the Defence Ministry apologised that it could not provide the static deployment of rangers and Frontier Corps for the upcoming by-elections, as, according to them, the deployment of the armed forces was not feasible.
The defense ministry told the interior secretary that the armed forces and civil armed forces were currently engaged in border management and internal security management.
Threats of terrorism are on the rise in the country, said the ministry. Moreover, the armed forces will be engaged in the census process from February 27 to April 3 this year, it was said.
