ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan assured on Tuesday free and transparent elections on Oct 10, and warned any attempt to disrupt the process would be dealt with under the law.

Addressing the nation on radio and television two days ahead of polls, he said the commission had finalised all arrangements to hold fair, free and impartial elections.

“I assure you that if anyone try to influence its (elections) impartiality and damage its sanctity, he will be apprehended and punished under the law,” he added.

He said polling will start at 8.00am and continue till 5.00pm without any break.

The CEC said on the invitation of the commission, over 200 foreign observers had arrived in the country to monitor the polls.

“The Election Commission has provided them all facilities and they are (free to) visit any polling station of their own choice to observe the process.”

The CEC said the commission had taken comprehensive measures to ensure transparency in the whole election process and hoped that all eligible voters would reach the polling stations to use their right to franchise.

The Election Commissioner said polling stations had been set up at places keeping in view the convenience of the voters.

He further said that qualified and trained polling staff had been deputed to conduct the polling in an orderly manner.

He appealed to the voters to use their right to vote freely, to complete the process of revival of democracy in the country.

The right to vote on Oct 10, he said, would change the fate of people and decide who would rule the country.

The CEC said now the election process had reached the final stage and the commission had made sincere efforts to take appropriate and comprehensive measures to ensure fairness in the polls.

The commission had to go through very difficult and arduous procedure starting from preparation of electoral rolls to hold polling on Oct 10.

He said after taking oath as the CEC on Jan 16, his first priority was to prepare error-free electoral rolls, and enlisted the steps he had taken following that.

PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE: Referring to ensuring peaceful atmosphere at polling stations, he said, on Aug 12 the president issued a law to give three to five years imprisonment for those who would capture the polling stations and disturb the polling.