AAMIR SAEED

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought rupees one billion from the Ministry of Finance to get around 100 million voters registered with National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for next general elections.

The ECP has written a summary to the Ministry of Finance for supplementary grant to get all voters data updated from NADRA and begin the process of electoral rolls preparation.

An ECP official told Business Recorder that NADRA had increased its per voter registration rates from Re 1 in 2013 to Rs 10 at present citing increase in wages of its employees. The ECP paid Rs 85 million to NADRA in 2013 for data entry of voters in the general elections, he said.

The official said ECP expected the voter numbers to increase to around 100 million in 2018 from 85 million in 2013 and it had to pay Rs 1 billion to NADRA for data entry of the voters. He admitted the ECP did not have the funds to pay NADRA for the voters’ registration.

The NADRA and ECP have already signed an agreement for transferring of the computerized electoral rolls to the ECP for smooth printing and distribution of rolls to each polling station during the elections.

The official said ECPs headquarters was electronically connected with 145 districts and regional election commissions, and around 70 percent of the district offices are being upgraded and shifted to new locations for better electronic connections.

There were still some connectivity issues with a few districts in Balochistan while all other districts ere internally connected, he said, adding that a databank had been set up at the ECP headquarters and its server was also functional to provide real-time data and voter related information at any of its offices in the country.

He said NADRA would also be kept on standby in that regard and it would continue to run the system alongside the ECP for some time.

The electoral reforms package being prepared by the parliamentary panel on electoral reforms includes a proposal under which those who obtain a CNIC upon turning 18 years old will automatically be registered as voters. They would get a choice of being registered at their permanent or present address. Kanwar Dilshad, former secretary ECP, said the Commission had had complete financial autonomy and can demand any amount required from Ministry of Finance by providing a justification.

He further revealed that former president Gen Pervaiz Musharraf (retd) granted complete financial and administrative autonomy to the Election Commission on May 10, 2000 through an executive order and it was imperative for the commission to hold free and fair elections.