Security for voter re-verification personnel to be mobilised on Wednesday
Army, frontier constabulary, rangers and police personnel will only be responsible for security of ECP officials.
Defence ministry makes it clear that ECP will be responsible for voter verification.
ISLAMABAD:
Army, frontier constabulary, rangers and police are due to join up with security escorts for election commission personnel in Karachi from Wednesday, January 9, 2013, a day before the process of re-verification of electoral rolls is due to begin in Karachi, a notification said.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan confirmed on Tuesday that the 18 day process of door-to-door re-verification of voters as ordered by the Supreme Court will start off in Karachi from January 10, 2013.
For its part, the Pakistan army has made it clear that their personnel will be responsible only for the security of civilian ECP officials and not the process of voter re-verification.
Quoting a notification, defence ministry officials confirmed that the army’s role will be limited to security only.
“Army and all forces under its command will only be responsible to provide a secure environment to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Staff. Conduct of electoral rolls verification will be sole responsibility of ECP.”
Without mentioning the exact strength of troops that will be mobilised for the process, defence officials said army troops, rangers, frontier constabulary and police will join up with security forces in city from Wednesday, and stay till the completion of the verification process by ECP in five districts of Karachi.
The re-verification will be carried out by ECP staff and government servants who would act as enumerators to verify every registered voter. To provide protection to these enumerators, the ECP has solicited the services of army, rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies.
The voters list compiled and published last year carried 6.8 million registered voters in Karachi. This number though has increased with at least 59,111 fresh CNICs being issued between September 2012 and December 2012 in Karachi.
Under the law every Pakistani citizen who gets a CNIC after turning 18, is eligible to get registered as a voter. New CNIC holders would be included in the lists after the verifications.
Army, frontier constabulary, rangers and police are due to join up with security escorts for election commission personnel in Karachi from Wednesday, January 9, 2013, a day before the process of re-verification of electoral rolls is due to begin in Karachi, a notification said.
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan confirmed on Tuesday that the 18 day process of door-to-door re-verification of voters as ordered by the Supreme Court will start off in Karachi from January 10, 2013.
For its part, the Pakistan army has made it clear that their personnel will be responsible only for the security of civilian ECP officials and not the process of voter re-verification.
Quoting a notification, defence ministry officials confirmed that the army’s role will be limited to security only.
“Army and all forces under its command will only be responsible to provide a secure environment to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Staff. Conduct of electoral rolls verification will be sole responsibility of ECP.”
Without mentioning the exact strength of troops that will be mobilised for the process, defence officials said army troops, rangers, frontier constabulary and police will join up with security forces in city from Wednesday, and stay till the completion of the verification process by ECP in five districts of Karachi.
The re-verification will be carried out by ECP staff and government servants who would act as enumerators to verify every registered voter. To provide protection to these enumerators, the ECP has solicited the services of army, rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies.
The voters list compiled and published last year carried 6.8 million registered voters in Karachi. This number though has increased with at least 59,111 fresh CNICs being issued between September 2012 and December 2012 in Karachi.
Under the law every Pakistani citizen who gets a CNIC after turning 18, is eligible to get registered as a voter. New CNIC holders would be included in the lists after the verifications.