News
Thursday, December 22, 2011
ECP given two months to finalise new electoral lists* Court issues notices to 28 MPs elected in by-elections
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, while expressing dissatisfaction over the performance of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on Wednesday directed it to complete preparation of transparent electoral rolls by February 23, 2012, instead of June 2012.
The court, while rejecting the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision, also issued notices to about 28 members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies elected in by-polls when the ECP was incomplete under the provisions of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, directing them to file their replies by January 10.
The court made it clear to the ECP that the deadline set for the preparation of new electoral rolls would not be extended at any cost.
The court directed the ECP to submit fortnightly reports on the progress of preparation of new electoral rolls with the Registrar Office.
A three-member bench of the apex court comprised of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry was hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, seeking the preparation of electoral rolls after eliminating all 37 million bogus votes.
The court also clubbed a pending petition of late Benazir Bhutto filed in 2007 over the same matter with the petition of Imran Khan, although nobody turned up to pursue Benazir’s plea.
The chief justice said that a notice would also be issued to the secretary general of Benazir Bhutto’s party.
The chief justice pointed out that in response to Benazir Bhutto’s petition, the ECP was directed to complete the preparation of transparent electoral rolls within one month and that four years had lapsed after those elections and the electoral rolls were still incomplete. He said that had the forthcoming elections held through the old electoral rolls carrying 44 percent (37 million) bogus votes, there would be bloodshed, for which ECP would solely be responsible.
The court rejected a report of the ECP and NADRA, which mentioned reasons for the delay in the preparation of electoral rolls, as being unsatisfactory.
The report stated that the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had passed resolutions about the delay in the preparation of voter lists due to flash floods and the fragile law and order situation. The court noted that Sindh assembly had not passed any resolution.
The chief justice also observed that the floods had hit only six districts of the Sindh province and that the law and order situation in Swat was very peaceful.
He said that the ECP secretary was deliberately delaying the preparation of electoral rolls and that if the submission of the ECP was accepted, the voter lists would be completed by June 27, 2012.
The court further directed the ECP secretary to ensure that that the voter lists were correct and final and adjourned the next hearing for January 10.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk