ECP Refutes 13m Ineligible Voter Claims

APP

Islamabad: The news report featured in Friday’s edition of Dawn is saturated with inaccuracies and misinformation, incorrectly suggesting that 13 million people won’t be able to vote in the next general elections, stated Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Spokesman.

Spokesperson clarified that a census requires a person’s physical presence, whereas voters’ registration is based on their permanent or current address specified on their computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), with no connection to population statistics.

He mentioned that the Election Commission is consistently raising public awareness regarding voter registration, exclusions and accuracy through daily media campaigns, and this will continue until October 25.

The ECP has acquired data for over 800,000 individuals who were issued CNICs by National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) on October 1, 2023. Data entry is currently underway, guaranteeing that all these eligible citizens can participate in the upcoming general elections and cast their respective votes.

The Election Commission is fully conscious of its constitutional and legal obligations and the process of constituency delimitation will not infringe upon the voter’s rights, further said Spokesman.

Furthermore, the Election Commission has fixed October 25, as the final date for voter registration, exclusions and verifications. Consequently, individuals who obtain their CNICs by25can be confident about their eligibility to get their respective votes registered.

The ECP has lifted the freeze on electoral rolls, effective September 28, 2023, ensuring the registration of all eligible individuals. This freeze has been in place since July 20, 2017, under the provisions of Section 39 of the Elections Act, 2017.