The right to vote: Over 40,000 govt employees will not be able to cast votes

KARACHI:

More than 40,000 government employees engaged in election duties in Karachi will not be able to cast their votes today (Saturday).

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, there is no provision in the law to facilitate the staff to help exercise their right to vote. "My vote is registered in District South but I have been appointed as presiding officer in District West. How can I cast my vote in this situation?" asked Aleem Ahmed, a lecturer.

As many as 4,144 presiding officers, 22,072 assistant presiding officers, 15,009 polling officers and 549 naib qasids (office assistant) have been appointed in 4,144 polling stations of the six districts of Karachi.

Apart from this, the staff will spend the night inside their respective polling stations. It is the responsibility of the presiding officer and the assistant presiding officer to look after the election material and make arrangement for polling. "We have gotten the election material from district returning officers and will spend a night inside the polling station along with the police," said one of the presiding officers.

No votes for policemen

The police personnel with their votes registered in Karachi will be unable to exercise their right to vote due to their election duties. The law enforcers have been posted at the polling stations from Friday night, where they will remain until the counting of votes is completed. “Over half the police personnel performing election duties have their votes in Karachi but we will be unable to cast them as the maintenance of law and order is our primary duty,” explained Federal B Industrial Area SHO Naeem Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th,  2015.