Electoral Rolls
Rally urges inclusion of all eligible voters
The News Rawalpindi/Islamabad
July 04, 2007
By Myra Imran

NGO activists staged a protest rally in front of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office here on Tuesday against the non-inclusion of names of a large number of 'eligible voters,' especially women.

Civil society activists - under the banner of Insaani Haqooq Ittehad (IHI), an alliance of NGOs Pattan, Rozan, SPO, HRDN, ActionAid, GCO, HRCP, Bedari and SDPI - tried to present a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Qazi Muhammad Farooq regarding their concerns over the issue. The CEC declined to come out, saying that he was busy. However, he asked representatives of NGOs to give him their memorandum on Wednesday (today).

Talking to 'The News,' NGO Pattan's representative Farzana Bari said that the objective of staging a protest rally was to urge the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take measures for inclusion of all eligible voters, especially women, almost half of whom have been left out in the electoral rolls.

She said that among the 33 million unregistered voters, 20 million were women. "There are, only 52 million voters according to electoral rolls, whereas the government has issued identity cards to 60 million people. It means that 8 million people having identity cards are missing from electoral,” she said.

Farzana Bari said that people avoid registering themselves as voters at display centres, as the process is too complicated. "Those who want to register themselves as - voters need to first present themselves before magistrates," she said.

In its memorandum to be presented to the chief election "commissioner, the IHI has proposed that registration of voters must continue till the announcement of election dates for inclusion of maximum number of 'eligible voters' in the electoral rolls.

It has also proposed that to bridge the wide gap between eligible and registered voters, the ECP must work in close collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).
"The ECP must register all those to whom Nadra has issued identity cards."

The alliance also demanded that in addition to registration of all eligible - female voters, their participation in the electoral process must be ensured. In constituencies where women had been prevented from casting votes, the result should be declared null and void.

NGOs protest over 20m missing voters
The Nation Islamabad
July 04, 2007

In a protest in front of Chief Election Commissioner's (CEC) office, NGOs demanded enlisting of every adults' name in voters lists.

Dr Farzana Bari, Chairperson of an NGO, during a speech in front of CEC office, said voting is right of every adult Pakistani but this right has been violated through a conspiracy by not entering names of 20 million eligible voters.

She accused bureaucracy for interfering in election commission and requested that it should keep its feet away from election process.

Chairperson SDPI, an NGO, Saba Gul Khattock in her speech said that are no forms available for enlisting voters, at display centres. She made a plea to Secretary Election Commission, Kanwar Dilshad Ahmed to immediately finalise voter lists and to register female voters in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Pattan, Rozan, SPO, HRDN, GCO and SDPI were NGOs participated in the protest.

NGOs protest over missing of 20m voters
Dawn Islamabad
July 04, 2007

A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), held a protest demonstration in front of the Chief Election Commissioner's (CEC) office against missing of 20 million voters from the electoral roll and asked the election Commission of Pakistan to enlist each and every adult's name in the voters' lists.

Voting is the basic right of every Pakistani adult but, that right is being violated through a conspiracy by not entering the names of 20 million eligible voters in the electoral list, said Dr Farzana Bari, chairperson of an NGO, during a speech in front of the CEC office.

She accused the bureaucracy of interfering in the work of the Election Commission and warned them to keep away from the election process.

The chairperson of SDPI, Saba Gul Khattak, complained that no forms were available at the display centres for enlisting voters.

She requested the secretary of the Election Commission, Kanwar Dilshad Ahmed, to immediately finalise the voters' lists and also register women voters in the NWFP.

The NGOs that participated in the protest were: Pattan, Rozan, SPO, HRDN, GCO and SDPI.

NGOs ask NADRA, ECP to ensure women voters’ registration
Daily Times Islamabad
July 04, 2007
By Staff Report

The ‘Insaani Haqooq Ittehad’, an alliance of civil society organisations, staged a protest demonstration in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) building here on Tuesday and demanded that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and ECP ensure participation of all eligible voters in the election.

The alliance said that 50 percent women were not registered in the voter lists and many of them had been deprived of their right to vote, as they were not having Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs).

“Out of 33 million total unregistered voters, 20 million are women who have equal right to vote as that of other citizens,” said the protestors.

“The ECP must register all the voters having CNICs. The ECP and NADRA should approach eligible voters and issue CNICs on doorstep and register them in the electoral rolls,” said the protestors.

Farzana Bari, a representative of Pattan, said the procedure of voters’ registration was so complicated that hardly any citizen thought of it.

“One has to appeal before the court for registering his or her name in the voters list and most of women do not want to appear before the magistrate,” she said.

The alliance urged the ECP to take measures to register eligible voters, especially women.

“Voters’ registration must continue till the announcement of election schedule in order to include as many eligible voters on the electoral rolls as possible,” said Bari. The protestors also suggested that all missing voters be allowed to cast their vote in election 2007. They demanded that in addition to women voters’ registration, their participation in the electoral process must be ensured. They said that in constituencies where women would be prevented from casting their vote the result should be declared null and void.