ISLAMABAD, June 9: The Election Commission of Pakistan has asked the provincial governments not to transfer staff borrowed from their education departments till the completion of fresh computerised electoral rolls.

This was stated in an official announcement made here on Friday.

It said provincial chief secretaries had been directed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Qazi Mohammad Farooq to instruct heads of different educational institutions not to transfer their staff, who had been appointed as Assistant Registration Officers (AROs), supervisors and enumerators till the completion of the enumeration process.

The move would help the staff to carry out their work smoothly, Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad said.

The provincial governments had assured their cooperation until the completion of the gigantic task, he said.

Registration officers would also be imparted necessary training about fresh preparation of electoral rolls.

Assistant Election Commissioners (AECs), who are also Registration Officers of districts, are being trained in the provinces. AECs in Punjab have already been trained on June 7, while in the NWFP on June 8.

AECs of Sindh will be given training at Karachi on June 10, 2006 followed by the training of AEC of Balochistan in the next week at Quetta.

Registration Officers will impart training to AECs, supervisors and enumerators of their respective area of jurisdiction.

Some 144 ROs, 2,240 AROs, 28,665 supervisors and 85,517 enumerators have been appointed for preparing the electoral rolls.