ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Monday hoped that the allied parties of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) would support the federal government on the issue of electoral reforms.
Addressing a ceremony in Police Lines Headquarters in Islamabad, the minister said that transparency would be ensured with the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections, terming it necessary to guarantee voters’ trust in the electoral system.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had reaffirmed the commitment of his government to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Rashid fully endorsed the idea of using EVMs as the premier truly said that this device would resolve the issue of mistrust in the electoral system.
Rashid made it clear that the premier was enjoying the support of members’ parliament of his own party and allied political parties. “All members of the government and allied parties had one agenda that was changing the life of the common man,” he added.
Underscoring the need for recruiting educated youths in the police force, he said that the crime rate was increasing in the country due to the worsening economic situation. He said the country was facing internal threats.
The minister said the government was taking sincere steps to improve the professional capabilities of Islamabad Police. He also directed the police officials to boost the morale of their subordinates which was also necessary for improving the performance of the police.
The minister said that the air patrolling unit of the ICT police, which consisted of high-tech drones and locators for live surveillance and tracking purposes, would initially patrol areas with high rates of burglaries, robberies, snatching, street crimes, and auto theft.
He said that apart from airborne tracking and surveillance, it would also be responsible for providing additional support to the on-ground patrol and specialized teams of the ICT Police.
