During his visit to the Army Elections Support Center on Thursday, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa instructed the army to ‘assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) strictly within the bounds of given mandate’ in conducting the General Election 2018, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

During the visit, the COAS was debriefed, in detail, about the plan to assist ECP for a fair and transparent conduction of the forthcoming elections. “General Bajwa directed the army to assist ECP strictly within the bounds of the given mandate and as per ECP's code of conduct,” the ISPR said.

The army chief said that it will work in synchronisation with other elements of security apparatus, all efforts should be put in to ensure secure and safe environment, enabling people of Pakistan to freely exercise their democratic right.

The ECP has decided to deploy army personnel inside and around polling stations to ensure security during the polls. The general election is scheduled in the country for July 25, for which electioneering by political parties has been in full swing.