ENROLMENT IN THE COMPUTERIZED ELECTORAL ROLLS, 2006-07 WILL CONTINUE TILL THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF SCHEDULE FOR FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS - CEC
1- ENROLMENT IN THE COMPUTERIZED ELECTORAL ROLLS, 2006-07 WILL CONTINUE TILL THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF SCHEDULE FOR FORTHCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS.
2- The voter will not have to appear before the Revising Authority for enrolment of his name.
Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan
Islamabad, the 29th June, 2007.- Mr. Justice ® Qazi Muhammad Farooq, Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan has said that the Draft Computerized Electoral Rolls are being prepared strictly in accordance with the relevant provisions of law/rules, as available in the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 and the Electoral Rolls Rules, 1974 which expressly provide that the electoral roll shall contain the number of National Identity Card of each voter.
2. The Process of Preparation of Computerized Electoral Rolls consists of three phases. The first phase had commenced throughout the country with door-to-door Enumeration and the names of only those voters have been entered, who possessed NIC or CNIC, as in the face of the voting procedure contained in Section 33 of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 it is pointless to enter the names of those persons in the electoral rolls who do not possess old or new identity card. The second phase commenced with the Draft Publication of Computerized Electoral Rolls for inviting Claims (for inclusion), Objections (for deletion), Applications (for corrections). At present, the Display Process is in full swing at more than 45000 Display Centers throughout the country, so as to enable the eligible voters to file Claims/Objections/Applications for Corrections within the stipulated period of 21 days, which will come to an end on the 3rd July, 2007. The Hon’ble CEC clarified that the legal provision with regard to the period of 21 days for filing claims, objections and applications for corrections contained in Section 10 of the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 is too stringent to be relaxed without an amendment.
3. The third Phase will commence with the Final Publication of Computerized Electoral Rolls in the 1st week of September, 2007, which will continue till announcement of the Schedule for forth-coming General Elections. During that phase the eligible persons whose names could not be enrolled as voters during the 2nd Phase of Enrolment Process will have the opportunity provided under Section 18 of the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 to get their names enrolled in the Electoral Rolls by filing application on simple paper giving particulars with number of National Identity Card along with a copy thereof to the Registration Officer concerned, namely, Assistant Election Commissioner/Deputy Election Commissioner posted in the districts.
4. The Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan further said that the difference of 20 Million voters in the Electoral Rolls prepared in 2002 and the Computerized Electoral Rolls, 2006-07 is for the reason that the present Electoral Rolls have been prepared containing names of only those eligible persons who are in possession of NIC or CNIC issued by NADRA. Whereas in the existing electoral rolls innumerable columns meant for entering the number of identity cards are blank.
5. The Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner has also decided that during the third Phase special arrangements will be made for enrolment of eligible voters having NIC or CNIC belonging to the areas effected by the recent rains and mobile teams will be deputed to do the needful on the spot.
6. The Chief Election Commissioner has further directed that the eligible persons filing claims for inclusion of names or any correction of particulars in the electoral rolls will not have to appear before the Revising Authority for inclusion of their names or correction of particulars in view of recommendations by the Registration Officers, Assistant Registration Officers or the Display Center Information Officers
7. The Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan has expressed his desire that the names of all eligible persons should appear on the Computerized Electoral Rolls, for which he has directed that all efforts must be made to enroll the names of all such eligible persons, who have been issued National Identity Cards by NADRA, so that no eligible person is deprived of the right of franchise.