RAWALPINDI: The Chief Election Com­missioner, Mr Justice Abdus Sattar, announced in a broadcast this evening [Jan 15] that the first phase of the work relating to the preparation of electoral rolls has been completed today and tomorrow the draft electoral rolls will be published throughout the country. ...

According to rough estimates, the total population of the country is a little over 11 crore 50 lakhs. The number of voters brought on the rolls comes to a little over 5 crore 60 lakhs — 3 crore 10 lakhs in East Pakistan and 2 crore 50 lakhs in West Pakistan. Figures for West Pakistan include Swat, Dir and Chitral districts, but not the tribal areas in which the enumeration is still to be completed and the rest of the tribal areas where the Electoral Rolls Order has not been applied.

The number of registered voters in the country is approximately 50 per cent of the total population. Mr Justice Sattar further said that in the completion of this gigantic task, the Election Commission had to engage 283 registration officers, 1,400 assistant registration officers, 45,800 enumerators and 14,150 supervisors. He said the disposal of appeals by the revising authorities will give the touch of an independent approach to the question of enrolment of individuals as voters.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020