ABBOTABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is deliberating upon criminalisation of the act of registrating fake votes. The step is expected to be taken to ensure an error-free election in the future, said Member Election Commission of Pakistan, Justice (R) Shahzad Akbar Khan.
He was addressing participants in a meeting held in connection with the voters’ verification process on Tuesday.
The former justice said that the EC is adopting a strategic approach to make the next election fair and transparent. He informed the participants that 3.7 million fake votes have been eliminated from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa’s (K-P) voters registration list, while 3.6 million new voters were registered during the ongoing process of voters’ verification.
Khan informed the participants that obtaining National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) identity card has become 80% easier.
He told the media that the process of verification and legal action against the parliamentarians having fake degree has been halted by the EC under a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Khan said before the apex court’s decision, the election commission, after a thorough verification, had recommended the registration of over a 100 criminal cases against parliamentarians. Regarding certain allegations against the eligibility of some parliamentarians, the former judge clarified that the ECP cannot initiate action against any parliamentarian unless he or she is proven guilty under the law.
Deputy Election Commisison Hazara, Khalid Waheed said that the voters turnout in Pakistan was 34% to 40 % while in India the ratio is 84%. Calling the voters verification the first step towards good governance, Waheed urged the people to support the process.
He said about 70% of the work on the voters’ verification has been done and was expected to be completed by October 15, this year.
‘The criminalisation of fake votes’
A lot of complaints were received from all the over the country about bogus casting of votes, and this had been an issue during the previous elections as well, said an official sources from ECP. In order to check this malpractice and plug the loophole in the system the ECP decided that the electoral roll copy with the presiding officer at each polling station will carry the photograph of the voter along with the CNIC number. The thumb impression of the voter will be available with Nadra.The voter will be asked to put his thumb impression on the electoral roll to check his identity. In case the verification fails, he will be tried in a court of order and will be awarded punishment. It is one of the many measures being taken by the body to ensure a credible forthcoming election and necessary amendments in the law will be made if so required, added the official.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2011.
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