It’s final now. No one will be allowed to carry their mobile phone along with them to polling stations.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday said the decision had been taken to block any possibility of poll rigging, violence at polling stations, manipulating poll results or selling votes.
A spokesman of the ECP said voters in past had been alleged of taking bribes for casting votes in favour of a specific candidates and mobile phones had been used top take pictures of ballot papers as an evidence.
The spokesman said to ensure smooth and transparent conduct of polls at the polling stations, the commission had decided to bar mobile phones inside the booths.
“Each presiding officer shall ask the voter if he is carrying a mobile phone. In case the answer is in the affirmative, the presiding officer shall direct the voter to place the mobile on his table and thereafter, ballot paper will be issued to the voter who, after marking it in a screened compartment, will insert his folded ballot papers in the ballot boxes and only then his mobile will be returned to him.”
He said it had been further decided that if a voter refused to hand over his mobile to the presiding officer, he might not be given the ballot paper.