IHC to hear plea on voter rolls’ correction today

Refers petitions seeking delimitation changes to the ECP for expeditious disposal

ISLAMABAD:

The capital’s high court is scheduled to hear a petition today, Thursday, seeking orders for the electoral oversight authority to postpone the issuance of the election schedule until the correction of electoral rolls. Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will preside over the hearing.

The petitioner, citizen Aftab Alam Virk, contends that the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) issued Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) to millions of illegal expatriates, whose names, he claims, have been included in the electoral rolls.

He asserts that the inclusion of names of illegally residing individuals in Pakistan's electoral rolls violates the law. All individuals who fraudulently obtained CNICs should be removed from the electoral lists.

The petitioner requests the court to order the removal of illegal expatriates' names from the rolls and issue directives to revoke or block the CNICs of such individuals.

The petition also seeks to restrain the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from issuing an election schedule for the February 8 general elections until a decision is made on the petition.

An electoral roll, also known as an electoral register or voter roll, is an official list that contains the names and relevant information of individuals eligible to vote in elections within a particular constituency, region, or country.

It serves as the fundamental basis for conducting elections, ensuring that only eligible citizens are allowed to vote. The electoral roll typically includes details such as names, addresses, and other identifying information of registered voters.

An election schedule, on the other hand, outlines the timetable of key dates and events related to an upcoming election. It includes various important milestones and activities leading up to and following the election day.

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The schedule typically includes dates for voter registration deadlines, nomination filing deadlines for candidates, campaign periods, polling day, and the announcement of election results.

The election schedule ensures that the electoral process is conducted in an organized and systematic manner, providing transparency and guidance to candidates, voters, and election officials.

On Wednesday, Justice Farooq, sitting as a single-member bench, also referred petitions objecting to the delimitation of various constituencies to the ECP for expeditious hearing and disposal.

During the hearing, Justice Farooq asked the ECP’s lawyer, who happened to be present in the courtroom for another case, about the polls body's schedule for announcing the upcoming general elections.

He noted that several people had challenged the recently concluded delimitation in court, stating that these were “minor issues” that should be addressed by the ECP promptly.

Ahsan Bhoon Advocate, representing some petitioners from Hafizabad, pointed out that there is no constituency in the country with a population exceeding 1.3 million. “However, the total population of Hafizabad is 1.319 million, but it comprises only one constituency.”

The court urged the ECP to address the issues after hearing the complainants as soon as possible and pass orders accordingly.