ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: United Nations Assistant Secretary General Dr Hafiz A. Pasha on Wednesday called on Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan and assured him of the UN Development Programme's support and assistance for transparency in the electoral process.

Dr Hafiz Pasha, who is also the UNDP's Asia and Pacific regional director, said the organization was committed to supporting the participation of Pakistan's citizens in the electoral process and assist the commission to ensure greater participation, especially of women and poor, in it.

The UNDP was also ready to support the commission for transparency in the local bodies' elections, he said. The CEC appreciated the UNDP's support for enhancing the capacity of the commission by executing a project for strengthening electoral processes to ensure greater participation in the country.

He welcomed donors to strengthen the electoral processes but said they should join through the UNDP to avoid duplication of their activities. The CEC said extensive publicity campaign has been launched for error-free updating of electoral rolls.

He said necessary arrangements had been made and appropriate instructions were being issued for holding the local bodies' election in a fair, professional and transparent manner.