RAWALPINDI: As many as 118 display centres in Rawalpindi district will become operational from May 21, ahead of the next general elections and local government polls to enable voters to check their names in the preliminary lists.

This step is being taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

District Election Commissioner Roy Sultan Bhatty told Dawn that the Election Commission had started work to update voters’ lists across the country, adding that the display centres had been established across the district in government buildings, especially government-run educational institutions, and registration officers and assistant registration officers would be deployed there.

Mr Bhatty said voters from several areas would check their votes in the updated lists in these 118 centres while voters of other tehsils would be able to check their votes in their respective areas.

ECP starts updating lists across the country

“The basic aim of displaying these lists is to provide an opportunity to people to get theirs and their family’s votes registered in their respective areas in case they are not present in preliminary lists. They can verify their names and see if their computerised national identity cards are registered correctly, and in case of any mistake they can correct it within the specified timeframe,” he said.

It is the duty of every citizen to get his or her vote registered in the lists, he said, adding that the Election Commission was committed towards providing an opportunity to each and every citizen to vote.

He said on the polling day, the presiding officers would work on the basis of the lists provided by the Election Commission which was why voters must check updated versions of lists and in case of any mistake get their information changed.

Mr Bhatty said if anyone wanted to raise an objection over inclusion or exclusion of a name than he or she would have to submit an application through form-16 of the ECP.

For correction of address as per CNIC, he said voters would have to submit the application through form-17 available at the display centre.

He said the Election Commission would register votes as per the address mentioned in identity cards.

In this regard, a complaint cell has also been set up to receive complaints in case of problems in registration of votes, he said, adding that people could call on landline numbers (051-9330935 and 051-9330936) for registration of complaints related to the voters’ lists.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2022