LAHORE, July 17: The Punjab establishment of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has so far added another about 650,000 voters in electoral rolls during the 15-day extension allowed for the display of lists.

The extension was given by the federal government a day before the three-week period for the display of the draft rolls was to expire on July 3. The preliminary voters’ lists were put on display on June 13 “for public information and inviting claims, objections and corrections,” at the ECP’s designated centres, mostly government schools and colleges. The last day for the display now expires on Wednesday (July 18).

The total number of voters on the draft rolls has now increased to around 37 million in Punjab. This number across the country is 52.2 million. The final electoral rolls prepared on Oct 1, 2002 for the general elections held about five years ago showed the number of eligible voters at 71.9 million. Those rolls registered around 41.23 millions voters from Punjab.

The federal government has not so far indicated any further extension in the display of draft rolls, yet a decision may be taken on Wednesday. However, the ECP is understood to have been restrained by the law to allow more extensions in the display of its draft electoral rolls and may not allow the date to be extended. Yet, it is also mindful of the fact that devastating floods and torrential rains in Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP have given almost no opportunity to political parties and civil society organisations to move for the correction and updating of the electoral rolls.

A senior ECP officer told Dawn on Tuesday that the date for the display of the draft rolls might not be extended, still `special arrangements’ would be made for the people of the flood-affected provinces to get their votes registered. The ECP, he said, would soon make public its plan in this regard.

Punjab Election Commissioner Ayaz Mohammad Baig said the registration process would continue till the new election schedule was announced. He told reporters on Tuesday that Section 18 of the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974, empowered the ECP’s registration officers to receive applications for an addition to electoral rolls even on a plain paper.

The ECP’s Punjab chief said the new electoral rolls would be completed in September this year. But the process of the registration of new voters would continue upon the submission of the application along with the computerised national identity card.

“The ECP will ensure that no eligible voter is left out,” he added.