Tentative schedule: Polls in AJK to be held by mid-July: CEC

CEC says people should maintain sanctity of vote.

MUZAFFARABAD: The chief election commissioner (CEC) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on Wednesday said that all available resources were being used to ensure timely general elections before July 24.

He was speaking at a seminar ‘sanctity and significance of vote’ organised by AJK election commission.

“Our priority is to update electoral rolls before the deadline. After March 20, updated voter lists would be sent to National Database and Registration Authority for final verification,” Justice Mughal added.

People should maintain sanctity of vote while electing representatives for next five years, he said.

The CEC said that people should register their vote on permanent addresses than temporary. He urged religious scholars to highlight significance of vote during Friday sermons in mosques and motivate people to use it for betterment of society.

Justice Manzoor Hussain Gilani, former chief justice of AJK Supreme Court, said that it was only vote that could change destiny of any country. People should vote for candidates who have vision and mission for prosperity and development of the region, he said.

The seminar was attended by religious scholars, lawyers, journalists, members of civil society and representatives of political and religious parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2016.