ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: A 22-member Commonwealth Observer Group led by former deputy prime minister of Malaysia Tan Sri Dato’ Musa bin Hitam on Monday called on Chief Election Commissioner Justice Irshad Hassan Khan.
The delegation which arrived here on Sunday after initial meetings with politicians and officials would be deployed across the country to monitor the elections, Mr Hitam told a press conference.
“On election day we will visit as many polling stations as possible,” he added. The observers drawn from 18 different countries would also monitor the counting of the votes and the results process.
The report prepared by the group would be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General who would then forward it to the government of Pakistan, the election commission, the leadership of all the political parties and all the Commonwealth governments.
“We are aware of the importance of these elections and we hope that our observation of them will help to strengthen democratic processes, institutions and values in Pakistan,” he said.
AFP ADDS: The head of the European Union’s election observers team arrived here on Monday.
John Cushnahan is heading 52 observers, one of the largest EU deployments ever to monitor elections.
Information Minister Nisar Memon on had Sunday warned observers against making judgments ahead of the vote, suggesting that they risked compromising their neutrality.
