PERSONS WHO HAVE BECOME 18 YEARS OF AGE ON OR BEFORE 1ST JANUARY, 2007 ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE TO BE ENROLLED AS VOTERS - CEC.
Islamabad the 7th February, 2007.- Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, Federal Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan has informed that Mr. Justice (R) Qazi Muhammad Farooq, Chief Election Commissioner has decided to allow the persons who have become 18 years of age on or before 1st January, 2007 to enroll as voters in the computerized Electoral Rolls which are being prepared afresh for use during the forthcoming General Elections and future Local Government Elections.
The Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan has clarified that during the process of enumeration all the persons, who on 1st January, 2006 were of 18 years of age or above were eligible to be enrolled. As such the persons who had become 18 years of age after 1st January, 2006 till 31st December, 2006 were not eligible and were not enrolled by the enumerating staff during the recent enumeration proceedings.
The Secretary, ECP has hoped that this decision will be considered as a welcoming step and help enfranchising all eligible persons to be enrolled as voters to exercise their right of vote in the up-coming General Elections. The Revising Authorities, to be appointed by the Chief Election Commissioner, to adjudicate upon the applications for additions, deletions and corrections of entries in the draft Electoral Rolls to be published in the month of May, 2007, will be advised to entertain the claims of such applicants, who have become 18 years of age on or before 1st January, 2007 and they may be enrolled as voters. All such applicants are advised, in their own interest, to get their CNICs prepared well in time.
The Secretary, ECP has further clarified that for publication of draft Electoral Rolls Display Centers will be established all over Pakistan to enable the general public to inspect the Electoral Rolls to ensure that their names appear correctly in the relevant electoral areas. The prescribed application forms, for filing claims, objections and applications for corrections, shall be available free of cost in the Offices of the Revising Authorities, Registration Officers and Assistant Registration Officers and as well as at all the display Centres.
It is further clarified that enrollment as a voter in the Electoral Rolls is a continuous process and any person whose name is not registered as voter he can apply to the concerned Registration Officer i.e. the Assistant Election Commissioner of the district for inclusion of his name even after final publication of the Electoral Rolls till the schedule for General Elections is announced.
The success of this National operation of preparation of Electoral Rolls largely depends upon active participation of all eligible voters, general public, Parliamentarians, Members of the Provincial Assemblies, holders of public offices in various local government institutions and the political parties. The political workers and NGOs should come forward in accomplishment of this task which will help the Election Commission in preparing accurate and error free Electoral Rolls. The Electronic and Print media is also requested to inform general public about the importance of the Electoral Rolls to render assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan in preparing an authentic, error free and credible Electoral Rolls so that up coming General Elections are held in a free, fair and transparent manner acceptable to all.