Islamabad: The Election Commission EC on Thursday said that electoral lists will be verified in Karachi with the assistance of Army in the line with the directive of the Supreme Court.
While briefing the media, Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan said that letters have been written to Corps Headquarters Karachi and Ministry of Defence in this regard. He said that there were eight point six million registered voters in the provincial capital.
Answering a question secretary said that task will be completed within sixty-five days. He said that delimitation of constituencies in Karachi will also be carried out in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court and the process will be completed in two months. He said the present Assemblies will complete their tenure on the 16th of March next year.
About complaints of rigging during by-elections in Punjab and Sindh provinces, he said the commission received general complaints but no concrete evidence was submitted in this regard.
However, he said that there was a need to learn lessons from the recent by-polls and in upcoming elections, flaws noticed in the recent by-elections will be removed. The ECP Secretary dismissed the impression that the ECP has done nothing to bring to book persons involved in display of arms and firing in the by-elections.“We have written to the provincial governments and FIRs have been registered against the culprits and most of them have been arrested”.
He also said that political parties have shown concern over the law and order situation and the ECP will utilize the services of all law enforcement agencies on Election Day.