PESHAWAR: While issuing standard operating procedure to their of ficials to ensure smooth, transparent and safe local body elections in the province on May 30, the provincial police have declared 3,940 of the total of 10,855 local polling stations sensitive, 2,837 most sensitive and the rest, 4,078, normal.

According to the SOP details issued by the central police officer, local body elections will take place at 10,855 polling stations across the province.

The polling stations have been divided into three categories i.e. normal, sensitive and most sensitive on the basis of their geographical location, vulnerability and previous history as well as tensions among candidates and population.

After the issuance of SOP, it is mandatory for all election candidates to seek permission from the respective district administration and district police before holding any public meeting so that appropriate security arrangements could be made to avoid any untoward incident.

The police told field formations to ensure that public meetings are preferably held in walled compounds with proper provision of bodysearch, elevated deployment of police guards and sweeping by bomb disposal squad and canine units.

The district police officers were told to facilitate guards of candidates to get the relevant permits for their guards from the district administration after verification of the guards nominated by candidates.

The field formations will augment security arrangements for sensitive and vulnerable establishments, including election commission offices, offices of returning officers, district jail and police establishments, during election days.

There will be a ban on display of weapons/arms, wall chalking of objectionable material and speeches inciting violence.

The police`s field units will enhance their intelligence gathering and keeping a close liaison with allied intelligence agencies for having a close watch on potential law and order situations, security threats and any tension between contesting candidates for diffusing the same through preventive action.

The police of ficers and officials will remain neutral during the entire election process.

The police also asked field commanders that any complaint in this regard should be taken seriously and punitive action shall be taken against police officials found violating these directions.

Similarly, the district police officers have been directed to arrange police station-wise meetings of all contesting candidates with the relevant returning officer, SDPO and election commission staff for briefing the candidates on prescribed code of conduct, overall security situation and prescribed guidelines/SOPs for the security of candidates and campaign activities, imposition under Section 144 CrPC; resolving any outstanding local issues and enquiring about the complaints, if any, regarding the partisan behavior of any police official.

Likewise, the district police officers have also been directed to conduct similar meetings at the district level with the office bearers of the contesting parties.