CEC asks PECs to help people review electoral rolls

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Wednesday asked all the provincial election commissioners (PECs) to provide full information and help to people in the process of reviewing the electoral rolls, ensuring that all eligible persons are registered as voters before the general elections 2023.

To this effect, a meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan was held here, which was chaired by Sikandar Sultan Raja. Apart from members of the commission, the ECP secretary and other officers attended the meeting. The secretary briefed the commission about the agenda of the meeting. The commission was briefed on the progress made so far in revising the electoral rolls on which the commission expressed satisfaction. The chief election commissioner directed all the provincial election commissioners (PECs) to provide full information and help to people in the process of reviewing the electoral rolls, ensuring that all eligible persons are registered as voters before the general elections 2023.

The commission was told that the process of delimitation is under way in Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. However, the meeting was informed that so far, the rules under the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance 2021 were not provided to the commission and this could cause delay in the electoral process in the federal capital.

It is feared that some more necessary amendments are required to the Local Government Ordinance. The ECP took stern notice of non-provision of rules and ordered that the chief commissioner Islamabad and representatives of the Interior Ministry be called next week to discuss the rules and necessary arrangements.

This is pertinent to point out that the delimitation process is being concluded on February 16 and it will be followed by the issuance of the LG polls schedule for the Islamabad Capital Territory.

The commission was also informed about the construction of a data centre and completion of printing facility in the Election Commission Secretariat. The chief election commissioner called for speedy completion of both the initiatives.