Electoral rolls: Apex court reminds ECP of its constitutional role
The court drew upon three constitutional petitions filed in the past five years.
ISLAMABAD:
In a fresh call for error-free electoral rolls, the Supreme Court on Tuesday reminded the Election Commission of its constitutionally-mandated role to update the same every year in the interest of fair and free elections.
The court drew upon three constitutional petitions filed in the past five years.
“It was way back in the year 2007 when ... the court directed the ECP to complete the exercise of printing and publishing the up-to-date electoral rolls by October 25, 2007.
“In response to our query, the ECP secretary has stated that the process of revising the electoral rolls was commenced in the month of November 2009 and still it is going on. Surprisingly, after a period of two years, the ECP seems to be helpless in discharging its constitutional duty...
“... We reiterate that non-completion of the Commission will be a deviation from the Constitution which cannot be allowed.”
Earlier, the ECP had categorically stated that the deadline given by the apex court to purge the lists of fake votes by February 23, 2012 was “humanly impossible” and had sought assistance from political parties for extension of the deadline.
The Supreme Court, however promptly rebutted the ECP’s remarks on Monday and stated that the move was taken keeping in view the “wide-scale discrepancies in the existing electoral rolls.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012.
In a fresh call for error-free electoral rolls, the Supreme Court on Tuesday reminded the Election Commission of its constitutionally-mandated role to update the same every year in the interest of fair and free elections.
The court drew upon three constitutional petitions filed in the past five years.
“It was way back in the year 2007 when ... the court directed the ECP to complete the exercise of printing and publishing the up-to-date electoral rolls by October 25, 2007.
“In response to our query, the ECP secretary has stated that the process of revising the electoral rolls was commenced in the month of November 2009 and still it is going on. Surprisingly, after a period of two years, the ECP seems to be helpless in discharging its constitutional duty...
“... We reiterate that non-completion of the Commission will be a deviation from the Constitution which cannot be allowed.”
Earlier, the ECP had categorically stated that the deadline given by the apex court to purge the lists of fake votes by February 23, 2012 was “humanly impossible” and had sought assistance from political parties for extension of the deadline.
The Supreme Court, however promptly rebutted the ECP’s remarks on Monday and stated that the move was taken keeping in view the “wide-scale discrepancies in the existing electoral rolls.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012.