Awareness of the vote guarantees country's progress: Ismail

Sindh Governor addresses a ceremony to mark National Voters Day

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Friday said that awareness of the vote was the guarantee for the country's progress and it was mandatory for strengthening the democracy. Addressing a ceremony with the theme of "Mera Vote - MeriPehchan" [My vote - My identity] organised to mark National Voters Day, he said that increasing awareness among the middle classes regarding the importance of the vote was a good omen.

Ismail appreciated the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for its steps to allow overseas Pakistanis to cast their votes in the polls.   He also praised the role of ECP in the conduct of transparent general elections in 2018. However the monitoring system needed to be further strengthened, he said.



Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Election Commissioner Yousaf Khattak, said that Voters Day was of utmost importance.  He said that the presence of the governor at the ceremony highlighted the importance of the vote, adding that observance of Voters' Day by ECP aimed at guiding the masses.  Khattak said that transparency of the polls was the responsibility of ECP and further highlighting the importance of the vote he said that it was a national duty to cast vote.

Sindh Election Commission Member Abdul Ghaffar Soomro said that Pakistan was a democratic country. He said that registration and deregistration of vote was earlier being done with the help of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) but now the ECP does itself. Soomro said that ECP was making all-out efforts for the improvement of electronic results and result transmission system.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2018.