81m voters to exercise right to vote
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad has said that 81 million voters would exercise their right to vote in the upcoming general elections while 2000 foreigners and 20000 local observers would be monitoring the process.
He expressed these views while addressing a workshop and later talking to reporters. He told that during the January election 81 million voters would be exercising their right to vote and voters list would be available on CDs in a week and would be placed on the Election Commission website in 15 days. He told that 2000 foreign and 20000 local observers would be monitoring the polls and special 50,000 passes would be prepared for observers and journalists to go inside the polling stations. In response to a question he said 65,000 polling stations have been set up to hold elections in free and transparent manner and 430,000 ballot boxes would be handed over to the provinces and 550,000 electoral staff would complete its training by December 28. He told that services of 150,000 people have been utilized for preparation of voters list while Chief Lection Commissioner would himself make the decision on MMA’s special seats.
He told that the election commissioner has decided that voting time for the January 8 election has been fixed from 8 am till 5 pm and no voter would be allowed to cast his/her vote without an Identification Card.
He said that the decision on fake degrees of 12 candidates would be taken by the relevant departments. In response to a question Kanwar Dilshad said that Interior Ministry has provided security to PML-Q leaders due to security concerns and whenever any candidate requires security it would be provided to him.
He told that there is no slackness in the preparations of elections and lection campaign is still continuing and notice has been taken on exceeding expenditures and big billboards have been taken down.
Taking about MMA’s conflict over the election symbol the book the Secretary Election Commission said that the commission has already allotted the symbol and if anyone decides to move court than the decision lies with the court.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar A. Memon Thursday said the government would take all necessary steps to facilitate the Election Commission for holding the general elections on time and asked the media to point out any negligence on the part of the government in this regard.
Flanked by Secretary Information Syed Anwar Mahmood, Managing Director APP Rai Riaz Hussain, Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Kanwar Dilshad Ahmad, the Minister was addressing the inaugural session of a daylong APP National Conclave here at a local hotel.