A high level meeting of the Planning Committee Election Commission of Pakistan was held today at ECP Secretariat, Islamabad. The Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad chaired the meeting. Besides other senior officers all the four Provincial Election Commissioners also attended the meeting. Various aspects to make elections more transparent, fair and efficient were discussed in detail.
It was decided that the revision of Electoral Rolls shall strictly be started as per timeline approved by the Election Commission, starting from 1st August, 2016. The Provincial Election Commissioners were directed to ensure comprehensive arrangements to facilitate the public during the process. A publicity campaign will be launched simultaneously to motivate the public to make the revision / verification process successful.
Simultaneously, Voter Education Campaign encompassing various activities for public awareness shall also be carried out. Voters education programme would focus on improving voters’ turnout for elections, reduce male female voters’ gap and motivating women, youth, students and other neglected, unprivileged or disinterested groups both in rural and urban areas for their active participation in polling process. For this purpose District Voters Education Committees (DVEC) would be established at District level under the chairmanship of DEC concerned. CSOs, Government functionaries, DCO representatives of DCO, Population, and education other such departments and lawyers and other dignitaries of the area would be members of the committees.
Further the verification of polling stations established during General Elections-2013 is being started to ascertain the suitability and availability of buildings. The teams for the purpose are being constituted which will visit each and every polling station and ensure enactment of buildings with GIS System to facilitate the public on polling day.
It was also decided to build storage facilities at Divisional level and appoint relevant complementary staff to maintain the electoral record in Election Commission’s facilities in line of unified laws. It was also emphasized that all efforts be made to establish polling stations at ground floor to facilitate elderly and disabled persons and the services of the best polling staff would be hired from the government departments.
Moreover well designed training programs are being devised to develop and enhance the capacity building of the officers of Election Commission. The training of the 1st batch of the officers will be started in the month of August, 2016.
*****
PREVIOUS NEXT
