Over 85 million voters to use right of franchise: ECP
18 March, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday released the final electoral rolls disclosing that over 85 million voters will exercise their right of franchise in the upcoming general election.
The commission said troops would be deployed in and outside the sensitive polling stations countrywide.According to the list, 8,57,38,789 voters have been registered across the country, including 4,84,16,413 males and 3,73,22,376 females.
The number of voters in the Punjab is 4,90,05,641‚ 1,87,13,573 in Sindh‚ 1,23,11,001 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa‚ 33,45,067 in Balochistan‚ 17,49,331 in FATA and 6,14,176 in the Federal Area.
The ECP will allot election symbols to all political parties on Tuesday. In this regard, the commission will hold a meeting and has urged all political parties to send their representatives to its Islamabad secretariat.
The ECP said any party failing to send its representative would be allotted a symbol according to the preferences indicated by the party in its application.
Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Division administration has been directed to make foolproof security arrangements for the Election Commission (EC) officers and staff in their respective districts. Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Imdadullah Bosal has directed the district coordination officers (DCOs) and district police officers (DPOs) to implement the ECP's code of conduct and other matters in letter and spirit and make all necessary arrangements for the holding of impartial and transparent elections. He also directed them to send him a list of sensitive polling stations on a priority basis.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Zubair has also directed his force to finalize the security plan of polling stations.He also directed his team to make demands for extra force and other resources, if any, in advance so that the matter could be taken up with the authorities concerned.
The commissioner issued special instructions for the removal of political banners, posters and bill boards from the city's streets and roads and said a meeting be arranged with the representatives of all political parties at district and divisional levels to make them aware of the ECP's code of conduct.
He further said after the filing of nomination papers, a meeting of final candidates should also be held. The RPO said instructions should also be issued to the printers and banner makers to abide by the size of the banners and posters specified by the ECP and that no violation in this respect would be tolerated.
With the implementation of the code of conduct, no political party can hold car rallies. There would be no restriction on the holding of corner meetings; however, the political parties would be bound to inform the district administration three days before the holding of public gatherings in any area.
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