Pakistan Army to deploy 70,000 troops for elections

Islamabad: Pakistan Army will deploy 70,000 troops and 50 helicopters for aerial surveillance across the country to ensure security and maintain law and order during the May 11 polls.
The deployment of troops in the southwestern Balochistan province has already been completed. Soldiers will begin fanning out across Karachi and other parts of Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab over the next few days. The army will also provide logistics for transporting ballot papers from government printing presses to polling stations.

The army deployed troops at printing presses in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi last month to provide security for the printing of ballot papers. The government has sought the deployment of troops under constitutional provisions following a series of attacks on politicians and campaign meetings across the country. Some 40 people have died in these attacks. The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has said it will target liberal parties like the Awami National Party, Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement. There have been more attacks on candidates in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.