The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has introduced a new polling scheme that entails increasing the number of polling stations across the country to facilitate voters.
According to the new polling scheme, polling stations would be set up every two kilometres across the country and within every 10 kilometres in Balochistan.
According to a private TV channel, the number of polling stations in Punjab would increase by 12,000, in Sindh by 8,000, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 3,000, in Balochistan by 2,000 and the number of polling stations in Islamabad would be increased by 159. This exercise would take the total number of polling stations across the country to 90,000.
According to an ECP official, the new scheme would facilitate voters as polling stations would be nearer to their homes, thus easily accessible.
Moreover, acting on the Supreme Court’s directives, the ECP began the process of verifying the voters’ list in Karachi.
The verification would be conducted by 19,000 government employees of the Sindh government, while army and FC personnel would later join the verification process, which is due to end January 17.
Sources in the ECP said ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan had sent a written request to the defence secretary, asking for services of the Pakistan armed forces.
The Sindh Election Commission had also contacted the Karachi corps headquarters in this regards. A final voters list would be compiled once the verification process is completed.