Experts highlight importance of voting

Say citizens unaware of power of their votes in shaping the future


Saleh Mughal December 08, 2021

RAWALPINDI:

District Election Commissioner Rai Sultan Bhatti has said it is unfortunate that voters are not aware of the power of their vote.

“The Election Commission is working to create a conducive environment and provide improved facilities to voters. Additionally, it is establishing working groups that cater to gender and disability, to give equal rights to marginalised segments of society,” he said while speaking at a seminar organised in connection with World Voters Day observed on December 7 across the world.

The aim of the event held at the District Election Commission Office was to inform citizens about the power and usefulness of their vote.

The event commemorated the first time elections were held in the country on December 7, 1970.

According to the rules, the election will be revoked in a constituency where the turnout of female voters is less than 10%, he said, and revealed that NADRA had been taken on board, and vans were sent door-to-door to make National Identity Cards (NICs) for women.

He added that a special programme has also been designed for the provision of facilities for differently-abled people.

Read More: Electronic voting for expats discussed

He said that the turnout improved with the recent steps, which were apparent in the by-election at Thal during Ramazan. Voter turnout was recorded at 52% in the area.

Speaking on the occasion, District Election Commissioner Shaheen Ghazal said that there were 3.4 million voters in Rawalpindi, and 40 percent of them had already been addressed. She added that the door-to-door voter registration drive had been extended till December 21.

Bhatti urged the education department, media, and civil society to ensure the correct registration of voters by cooperating with the election commission teams. Meanwhile, the voter registration teams complained that people were not providing copies of NICs during the process.

The election commissioners urged the public to cooperate with the teams as copies of their NICs help in the accurate compilation of official records.

Several teachers, various stakeholders, and members of civil society attended
the event.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2021.

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