AJK Election Commission vows free and fair elections

ISLAMABAD:  (Rizwan Abbasi) Chief Election Commissioner Azad Jammu and Kashmir Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal has said that the Election Commission is committed to holding free, transparent and fair elections in accordance with the constitution and law and the electoral process will be completed on time.

Addressing representatives of political parties in Islamabad, the Chief Election Commissioner said that under the Election Act 2019 and previous laws related to voter lists and electoral matters, there is a single common voter list system and the Election Commission does not have the authority to amend the law.

He said that a formal letter has been written to the government in this regard so that the issues faced can be resolved through necessary legislation.

Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said that the government has also sent a draft ordinance on this issue, which is currently under consideration by the Law Department.

He said that after the legislation, the voter lists will be finalized in the light of the prevailing procedure in Pakistan so that the electoral process can be completed in a transparent manner.

He said that the Election Commission has formulated a comprehensive action plan for election preparations, under which various stages have been set for delimitation, voter registration and other administrative matters. According to the Chief Election Commissioner, citizens who have completed 18 years of age by April 1 can register as voters and appropriate time will be given for voter registration in the light of the suggestions of political parties.

He said that sometimes problems arise in the process of verification of voter lists due to family records or other reasons, therefore, political parties and local leadership should encourage the public to cooperate in the voter registration and verification process so that the right to vote of any citizen is not affected.

The Chief Election Commissioner further said that committees will be formed at the local level with the cooperation of political parties which will help in identifying and resolving problems related to voter lists. He asked the political parties to provide the names of their representatives for these committees as soon as possible so that the election process can be carried forward in a better manner.
He clarified that the Election Commission is committed to holding elections in accordance with the prescribed constitutional and legal requirements and the elections will be held on time. He said that the cooperation of all institutions and political parties is indispensable for the transparent conduct of elections.