KARACHI:
The election commission has not yet written to the federal interior ministry asking for army’s help in the voter verification process in Karachi and if it has, Rehman Malik is unaware.
In line with an apex court decision, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the timetable for voters’ verification with the help of army - if required - starting from January 5 and expected to be finish before the end of February, just weeks ahead of the upcoming general election.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) respects the apex court decision on delimitation and verification of voters but the election commission needs to go through the interior ministry for approval of Frontier Constabulary (FC) services, said Malik, the federal interior minister, who was speaking to the media after meeting President Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House.
About the PPP-Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) alliance, he said the parties will continue together in the next election as well and he would carry on with his “mediation” role between the two. “The coalition partners would foil all conspiracies,” he added.
The minister, terming his visit to India a “milestone”, said he had made a breakthrough in the implementation of a liberal visa policy between both the countries. “I have asked the Indian government to open a consulate in Karachi so that people of Sindh can easily get visas. Similarly, Pakistani government would set up its consulate in Bombay,” he said.
About the attack on polio vaccinators, Malik said all arrangements have been made to provide full security to the anti-polio teams in sensitive areas. “We have also asked police and paramilitary forces to chalk out their plans,” he said.
When the reporters asked if the government would share the findings of Benazir Bhutto murder case before her death anniversary on December 27, the interior minister said: “I will present the report before the central executive committee members. It is their discretion to disclose the findings.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2012.
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@sgrr: Physical verification > Everything else.
The issue of the voters list is very simple and need not to waste a lot of money and human resource. As we all know that there are two addresses on CNIC; permanent & Present and it is the requirement to produce original CNIC at the time of voting. Thus the voter must be residing on the present address or on permanent address, no room for the 3rd address. The voters list may be prepared with a click on key board with permanent address on CNIC of entire country and if any one wanted to have his/her name on present address as per CNIC, he/she may send a sms to a number (may be specified by NADRA/EC) from a mobile number registered in his/her own name or a family members name (this will be verified by NADRA). The NADRA/EC may give 15 days time to sms for request in change of voter list. This may be done through countrywide media campaign and all parties must also campaign it at their own level. The work is so easy and cost effective if we use already available NADRA data base if NADRA thinks its data base is reliable. No need to involve army, police, rangers, FC, teachers, other government departments etc except NADRA/EC. However, if one wanted to get it vote registered on a address other than permanent or present address, the SC/EC should ask him/her for the reasons.