ISLAMABAD  -  The Ministry of Interior has estab­lished a control room to monitor the overall security situation through­out the country during the Febru­ary 8 elections. The other purposes for the establishment of the facil­ity included coordination with all stakeholders and giving a quick and effective response in case of any emergency situation.

Interim Federal Minister for Com­munications, Maritime Affairs & Railways Shahid Ashraf Tarar, who heads the high-level committee formed last week to oversee security arrangements for the polls, visited the control room here on Tuesday. The coordinator of the National Ac­tion Plan briefed the minister about the arrangements made at the facil­ity, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior. Secretary Interior Aftab Akbar Durrani was also present on the occasion.

The caretaker government would provide full assistance to the Elec­tion Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the conduct of free and fair elec­tions, the interim minister was quot­ed as saying this during his visit. “We will take all possible steps to ensure security and law and order during the elections,” he said, adding the es­tablishment of the control room was a part of these measures.

Tarar said that he would make a tour of all four provinces, on the advice of caretaker Prime Minis­ter Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, to review the overall security situation of the country and to make a final shape to all arrangements in this connection.