Election Commission officials said they have made necessary security and logistical arrangements for the elections. [break]
Despite lots of aspiration and hope among the people, people have doubts about political stability due to increasing extremist violence, an Islamabad-based journalist said requesting anonymity said.
Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan said that all the preparations are almost over. Talking to a Nepali media delegation at the Commission´s office, Secretary Khan said, "After preparations for over two years, we have come to a position to hold free and fair elections. But we still do have some problems regarding law and order." Despite internal and external challenges, we have no other alternative than to hold the elections, he added.
About 180 million ballot papers have been printed for the election in which about 86.1 million voters are to participate, according to the commission.
The commission has issued its new code of conduct before the elections according to which candidates would be barred from canvassing on the basis of ethnicity. As per the new code of conduct, it is punishable crime to provide free transport for voters, leave the polling station with the ballot paper, camp within a 400 metres radius of polling stations, and chase away voters from polling stations among other things.
Secretary Khan informed that about 72,000 polling stations throughout the country have been set up and about 4 to 5 security personnel will be deployed in each polling station in sensitive areas and 3-4 security personnel each in other polling stations. In more sensitive areas paramilitary forces will be deployed, according to the commission. Also army will be deployed for election security as per the need, the commission said.
Punjab province that consists of 60 percent of voters poses no serious security challenge, but Karachi has some problems so paramilitary and armed forces will be deployed there, the commission said. Likewise, Baluchistan does have some critical problems in six to seven district and so are the tribal areas and security arrangements have been made accordingly to ensure free and fair elections, EC officials added.
Asked about the role of foreign observers, EC Secretary Khan said, "We don´t have much faith in international observers. We believe in our people. But then EU, US, Japan and other many others are assisting us." He said that the cost for holding the elections is estimated to be around 5 billion Pakistani rupees.
In the general election, voting will take place in all parliamentary constituencies of Pakistan, to elect members to seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament and to the four Provincial Assemblies -- Punjab Assembly, Sindh Assembly, Baluchistan Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The socialist-oriented Pakistan People´s Party (PPP), PML(Q), PML, PML(F), Sunni Tehreek, cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan´s PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami and Bahawalpur National Awami Party are the major parties contesting the elections.
The country will elect close to 1,000 members of the National and Provincial assemblies of Pakistan, who will further elect the prime minister of Pakistan at the national level and chief ministers at the provincial level according to EC.
Related story
Agreement between City Express Money Transfer and Ria Money Tra...
-1200x560-1781083488.webp)
