LAHORE, Jan 19: Only those eunuchs will be registered as voters who have valid computerised national identity cards (CNICs), says the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In a meeting held to discuss registration of transgenders as voters at the office of the Provincial Election Commissioner, the ECP and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) jointly decided to fix Jan 25 as the date for registering eunuchs, and their representatives were told to mobilise their community. It was presided over by ECP director general.

The meeting was attended by Social Welfare Secretary Akram Javed, Director General Malik Muhammad Aslam, Nadra General Manager Lt-Col Nawaz Ahmad (retired) and joint provincial election commissioner.

Noting that eunuchs did not mention their parentage while applying for CNICs, Nadra representatives stated that only those eunuchs could get the cards who would mention their biological parents as it was a legal requirement.

Eunuchs’ representatives were urged to cooperate with Nadra as well as with the district election commissioners in this regard so that process of issuance of their CNICs could be expedited.

Shahana Abbas Shani, a representative of eunuchs, pointed out that some of them were facing problems in attestation of their applications for issuance of CNICs. To this, it was suggested that the issue might be brought to the notice of the Nadra chairman for grant of exemption from attestation for eunuchs.

The social welfare secretary informed the meeting that district-wise lists of eunuchs had been prepared and were being handed over to Election Commission officials at divisional and district levels.

All the regional election commissioners were requested to provide the requisite information to the social welfare secretary as early as possible through the provincial election commissioner, and a copy thereof be also sent to the ECP, Islamabad.

Regional election commissioners were further asked to prepare lists of such eunuchs who did not possess CNICs and hand over the same to Nadra district offices with a request to expedite the process of issuing CNICs to them.

It was decided that the district election commissioners, social welfare officers and Nadra officials would coordinate with each other at the district level for registration of eunuchs as voter and a fortnightly report would be sent to the provincial election commissioner, Punjab and ECP Secretariat, Islamabad.

Eunuchs’ representatives were requested to mobilise the members of their community to come to the office of district election commissioners for registration of their votes along with their CNICs. The district social welfare officer and a Nadra representative, along with a mobile van would also be present in the DEC office.

It was also decided that an advertisement be issued by social welfare department, inviting eunuchs for their registration in all major newspapers.

Nadra representative said eunuchs would be provided CNICs free of cost.