One step closer: NADRA completes data entry of 85 million voters

New telephone code to become active on March 1 where by voters can SMS and verify their registration.

ISLAMABAD: Scanning and data entry of 85million voters by the National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA) have been completed with printing now due to begin, a spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Thursday.    

In a statement issued by the body responsible for creating transparent and accurate voter lists, it read that NADRA has also handed over the Preliminary Rolls of ten constituencies where by-elections are scheduled to be held on Feburary,25.

The spokesman said a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Hamid Ali Mirza held in the ECP which reviewed the electoral preparedness. After completion of printing process, NADRA will deliver Preliminary Electoral Rolls to the ECP which will then be displayed at more than 50,000 display centres across the country later this month.

In addition, NADRA and ECP will work together for upgradation of Electoral Rolls in future also.

Secretary ECP Ishtiak Ahmed Khan in the statement said that holding elections was the constitutional obligation of the commission.

Regarding increased number of census blocks, Secretary Statistics Division informed the meeting that a notification to freeze the numbers of census block is being issued. The Commission was further informed that Population Census Organisation will provide data of all Census Blocks in a digitised form to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The Commission was also told that a telephone code 8300 was in the process of being approved by the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) to enable voters to get required information through SMS. This facility will be available to the public from March 1 at the cost of only Rs2.

To check election expenses during election campaigns, the ECP will collaborate with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure that election expenses remain within the prescribed limits and according to law.

In this regard, a high level meeting is going to be held soon.

The Issue of preparing ballot papers was discussed in detail to make it safe and secure having all possible special security features and to preclude the possibility of printing of bogus ballot paper by any quarter. The meeting agreed to import latest technology for this purpose and employ non-market special paper for preparation of ballot papers. Expert views of MD, Printing Corporation of Pakistan, representative of Security Printing Corporation, Post Office Foundation, United Nations Development Fund (UNDP)and IFES were also considered.

The meeting also decided to establish permanent polling stations so that the voters could be assigned polling stations well before the elections.  Since it would require necessary legislation, therefore, after legislation, the lists of permanent polling stations shall be placed on ECP's website for information of general public well in advance.

The Commission was informed that UNDP will provide transparent ballot boxes to cover the existing deficiencies as well as cater the need of ever-increasing numbers of voters. Seals for ballot boxes have already been manufactured and delivered to the Provincial Election Commissioners.

UNDP will also assist the ECP to have better and faster result management system to ensure complete transparency and quick announcement of election results.

Regarding voting rights to the Overseas Pakistanis, a meeting of the ECP with experts of UNDP and IFES will be held on February 14, to finalise a modus operendi regarding it.

Electronic Voting Machines have been fianlised and the ECP approved its specifications. This machine will be used in any by-election on a pilot project basis.

The training of District Returning Officer, Returning Officer and polling officers was considered in detail and representative of UNDP informed that they will train 1500 DROs, AROs while International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) will train five hundred thousand polling staff for coming elections.

As the population census report is to be published by the Pakistan Census Organisation in second half of 2013, and as no fresh delimitation is to be carried out for next general elections, therefore, the Commission decided that re-description of constituencies in Sindh shall be started from February 15 in Sindh, from March 15, in Balochistan, from April 15, in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and from May 15, in Punjab.

Secretary ECP said the he was in pursuance of Supreme Court orders, and will visit Sindh and will have a meeting with the Chief Secretary of Sindh.