KARACHI, May 30: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) on Thursday demanded a month’s extension for including the names of people who were between 18 and 21 years of age in the electoral list.

Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club, MQM’s central leader Kunwar Khalid Yunus, Khalid Bin Walid, and Nawab Mirza appealed to the president and the chief election commissioner on the premise that extension was necessary because the students were busy with their examinations, and also because it had been decided that the new forms would contain the declaration that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the last prophet.

They alleged that the attitude of the staff concerned was not appropriate for those who wanted to get themselves registered. They also alleged that misleading advertisements were being published by the Election Commission in the newspapers.

They said the timing and mode of filing of the forms was not prudent and demanded that the offices concerned should remain open even on weekly holidays to enable the working class to avail of this opportunity.

They were of the view that under a deliberate plan people were being denied the opportunity to enrol themselves as voters. Contrary to the published conditions, the revising authorities in many areas were not accepting photocopies of the form.

The MQM was of the view that owing to involvement of the election commission in the referendum, due attention was not given to displaying electoral lists as at many places even the staff was not present. As a result people could not get themselves enrolled.

The MQM claimed that the names of at least two million people of Sindh had not been included in the list.

They were of the view that if the government was sincere about holding free and fair elections, then eligible people must be provided opportunities to exercise their constitutional rights.