ISLAMABAD: As the country prepares for the upcoming general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a notice that allows the facility of postal ballot to people with disabilities (PWDs).
According to the notice, “PWDs can avail postal ballot paper facility to exercise their right to vote in general election 2018.”
Moreover, those with Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) mentioning their disability can submit their applications requesting the postal ballot facility to the relevant returning officers by July 5.
The facility is also available for government employees who are unable to reach polling stations due to active election duty and prisoners in jails.
Deputy Election Commissioner Multan Shakeel Ahmad elaborated on the procedure and said, “Once the applications are received, the ROs would send back to the applicants a package containing two envelopes, postal ballots, a page carrying instructions, and a declaration form.”
For the government employees, the declaration form would be signed by the respective head of departments and their ballot paper should be returned along with the signed declaration form to the RO to get the vote counted.
Similarly, prisoners would be required to get the declaration form signed by jail superintendent, while disabled people would need any gazette officer to declare their mobility problem.
Another ECP official admitted that an estimated number of PWDs who are registered to vote in Pakistan is not yet available.
