ISLAMABAD : A meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan attended by its four members was held in Islamabad on Wednesday with Chief Election Commissioner, Chief Justice (Retd.) Irshad Hasan Khan in the chair. The meeting reviewed the arrangements so far made for the holding of Referendum on April 30, 2002 and took decisions in this regard.
The Election Commission resolved to act with neutrality, objectivity, impartiality and independence at every stage of the Referendum process. The attainment of the above goal is inter-linked and intertwined with the conduct of fair polling.
The EC also agreed that it is the duty of Election Commission constituted in relation to Referendum under the Referendum Order 2002, to conduct the Referendum and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the Referendum is conducted in a transparent manner. The duties of the Election Commission inter alia include appointment of Returning Officers, making provisions of polling stations and issuing such orders, directions or instructions as it may deem fit for ensuring that the Referendum is conducted justly, fairly and in accordance with law.
The Election Commission has so far set up 87,074 poling stations with 1,63,641 polling booths. The details are given below.
Islamabad, 345 809
Punjab, 46,008 86,962
Sindh, 21,109 44,016
NWFP, 11,810 17,011
Agencies/ FRs, 1,907 2,539
Baluchistan, 5,895 12,304
Total 87,074 1,63,641
The number of polling stations and polling booths is likely to increase as efforts are being made to set up polling stations for every 500 voters, wherever practicable, for convenience and facility of the voters. Increase in the number of polling stations wherever necessary is under the active consideration of the Provincial Election Commissioners in consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Pursuant to the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the District and Sessions Judges throughout Pakistan have appointed about 4,14,356 polling personnel for their respective territorial jurisdiction for conducting Referendum. In areas where District and Sessions judges are not available, senior officers, i.e., District Coordination Officers and Political Agents in the Agencies and Frontier Regions have been appointed as Assistant Returning Officers respectively.
Likewise 1,74,148 Polling Assistants have also been appointed from amongst the independent notables of the areas to monitor the monitor the polling process and counting of the votes. They will ensure that the ballot boxes are empty at the start of polling on polling day. They will supervise the polling during the day. After the polling is over in the over in the evening, the ballot boxes will be opened in the presence of Polling Assistants (Notables) and the ballot papers will be counted in their presence.
The Presiding Officers will then prepare the statement of count in the presence of Polling Assistants and will then send the statement of count to the concerned Assistant Returning Officer. The Polling Assistants would not be on the pay roll of the Federal Government, the Provincial Government or the Local Government. The Election Commission will pay them suitable honoraria for their services.
The District and Sessions Judges in their respective districts and other officers appointed as Assistant Returning Officers shall ensure transparency and fairness of the polling process at the polling stations located within their respective territorial jurisdiction.
The Assistant Returning Officers shall conduct their duties and perform their functions honestly, to the best of their abilities and faithfully in accordance with the Referendum Order, 2002, instructions and directions issued by the Election Commission from time to time in this behalf.
The Returning Officer shall take appropriate steps for obtaining result of count and submit a return of the referendum to election commission as contemplated by Paras 7 and 8 of the Second Scheduled to the Referendum Order, 2002. After obtaining the return of Referendum showing total number of votes cast in favor of each answer and publish the same in official Gazette as contemplated in sub-para (3) of Para 8 of the second schedule to the Referendum Order, 2002.