A 2023 amendment to the Elections Act barred the practice of stationing security forces inside polling stations. The law now requires them to remain outside unless specifically summoned.
In Pakistan’s election history, the presence of uniformed security forces inside polling stations has been repeatedly cited as a source of voter intimidation. The Elections (Second Amendment) Act 2023 addressed this directly.
What does the law say?
Section 83(4) of the Elections Act 2017 requires all officials posted at a polling station — including law enforcement officials — to render their fullest cooperation to the Presiding Officer for the maintenance of order and uninterrupted voting. The proviso inserted in 2023 adds, “officials of the law enforcement agencies shall be posted for security duties outside the polling station but in an emergency may be called inside by the Presiding Officer to restore order and peaceful polling.”
The baseline position requires law enforcement to stay outside. Entry is conditional on an emergency, and the decision to call them in belongs to the Presiding Officer, not to any commanding officer of the security forces, and not to any civil administration official.
Why does this matter?
The 2023 amendment responds to a documented pattern. When uniformed personnel are present inside polling stations, voters — particularly women voters in socially conservative areas — may feel observed or intimidated. The outside-by-default rule removes this structural source of intimidation.
Voters who see uniformed security forces inside a polling station, absent an active emergency, should know this is not legally permitted under current law.
Source: Elections Act 2017, Section 83(4) proviso, inserted by the Elections (Second Amendment) Act 2023.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on electoral literacy. Read more of this series here.
