Nadra slackness delays final voter lists
By: FARRUKH JAMAL PASHA
The Final Electoral Rolls (FERs) of 2011 may be delayed by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has not been able to compile the data within the stimulated time.
Well-placed sources in Nadra told Business Recorder that due to heavy workload regarding finalisation of Preliminary Electoral Rolls (PERs) and immense rush of voters for correction in their particulars in the lists, FERs could not be placed before the Supreme Court till February 23, 2012.
Sources said in the next apex court hearing on January 10 2012, it is expected that Nadra and the ECP will take the plea in the court that FERs could not submit the lists till February 23, 2012 and Nadra would request SC to give it more time for this purpose.
“Nadra has received 84 million forms for correction of permanent addresses in voters’ lists and still receiving huge data for correction,” sources added.
After correction in particulars Nadra will add them to the PERs.
Sources said Nadra can complete PERs easily in June 2012 before the elections deadline that for 2013.
Nadra Deputy Chairman Tariq Malik said the Authority has completed DERs for new Electoral Rolls.
He said to avoid further delay Nadra has cancelled Saturday/Sunday holidays of the staff, which is working even in night shifts.
He said about 17 districts had been affected by recent floods, so collection of data from these districts is quite difficult.
Malik said that as the people can’t go to their union councils to check their names in voters lists, so Nadra and ECP have signed an agreement with the telecom sector through which people can check their names sending mobile SMS to the relevant quarters.
He said this service will start in February soon after PERs are completed.
He said that Nadra is using all possible resources to complete PERs as soon as possible.
Sources said that according to law, ECP will be responsible to display the new electoral rolls in 5000 display centres for 21 days after completing the PER and only then ECP will give a comprehensive report about the new electoral rolls.
Sources said that ECP has to obey the law of displaying PERs for 21 days in display centres this would be one of the reasons for delay in FERs-2011.
According to ECP data about 80 million voters has registered in Draft Electoral Roll (DER-2011), while NADRA augmented about 30 million voters in DERs-2011.
Similarly, 30 million voters could not be unverified through FERs of 2007.
While in Punjab 40 million, Sindh about 10 million, KP about 10 million, Balochistan 3 million and in Fata 1.2 million voters have been registered in DERs-2011.
Well-placed sources in ECP told business recorded that as per the direction of Supreme Court the ECP would try its level best to complete comprehensive report on new electoral rolls but it could only be possible after receiving PERs from Nadra.
Sources added that as soon as they receive PERs from Nadra the new electoral lists will be displayed in 5000 centres.
Sources said that report may take 2 to 3 weeks more for correction of particulars of voters and will not be compiled till February 23.
Source: BUSINESS RECORDER
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