The caretaker federal cabinet in Pakistan has approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civil armed forces troops for the peaceful conduct of the general elections scheduled for February 8. The deployment was recommended by the Interior Ministry, and these forces will be stationed at sensitive constituencies and polling stations. They will also serve as a rapid response force. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, where discussions on the country’s current economic, political, and electoral situation took place.

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Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formally requested the federal government’s deployment of the army and civil armed forces personnel during the upcoming general elections. The ECP invoked Article 220 of the Constitution, emphasizing the duty of executive authorities to support the ECP in fulfilling its functions. The military brass, in a corps commanders conference, assured that they would provide the necessary support to the ECP for the elections.

In addition to electoral matters, the interim cabinet discussed proposals for the restructuring and digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The prime minister directed the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the finance minister, to examine the proposals. Other committee members will include federal ministers for privatisation, foreign affairs, commerce, energy, law and justice, and information technology. The committee is tasked with presenting recommendations at the next cabinet meeting. The cabinet commended the efforts of Caretaker Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar for improving tax revenue and the tax-to-GDP ratio, as well as presenting detailed proposals for FBR’s administrative structure. The caretaker government expressed its commitment to completing the FBR reform agenda.