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ISLAMABAD The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stated that it will finish producing ballots by February 2 as the general election date draws closer. On the other side, the electoral board has also started distributing ballots nationwide at the same time via security officers in every province. Additionally, ECP has started using security people to deliver voting papers to each of the four provinces.
A spokesman for the ECP stated that plans are well underway for the polls on February 8. The spokeswoman said that the process of producing ballot papers is now proceeding “satisfactorily” at least three government press institutes. “The printing work, which started on January 16 after the allotment of election symbols by returning officers (ROs), will be completed in the next four days, i.e. by February 2,” the representative of the ECP stated.
He continued by saying that, with the assistance of security agencies, returning officers (ROs) and district administrations had begun distributing ballots for the four provinces. The documents are being transported by air and by road. In addition, he noted that starting on January 29, 2024, the general public would be able to access the 8300 SMS service to learn about their polling place and other information.
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In order to obtain their voting information, voters will need to text their identity card number to 8300. In order to ensure that they have no trouble finding polling places, it has been recommended that all voters receive information about their vote, as well as the vote of their family, on time.
In the meantime, 970,000 of the 976,000 poll workers that the commission is expected to train—or 96% of the total—have already received their training. In the next four days, the remaining 6,000 poll workers will finish their training.
Separately, the commission promptly requested a report from Kohistan Upper, the district monitoring officer, after becoming aware of news that had been making the rounds in some media sections today. The report clarified that the news was untrue and that this was the result of misunderstanding. The Ulema in Kohistan are purported to have issued a fatwa that forbids women from participating in political campaigns.
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The commission would take action under Section 9 of the Elections Act and the elections process in that constituency could be declared void, the spokesman said, if a woman was prevented from campaigning or casting a ballot in the relevant constituency during the upcoming elections.
The ECP has also been made aware of instances involving gunfire and altercations between two political parties in Karachi regarding flag hoisting and postal ballot stealing in the Swabi area. In order to prosecute those responsible for these instances in accordance with election regulations, the commission has requested reports from the chief secretary and the relevant Inspector General.
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