SC reserves verdict in Karachi voter lists case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has reserved its verdict pertaining to the verification of voter lists in Karachi.

Petitions were filed by the PTI, JI and PML-N seeking to verify the voter lists in Karachi.

A three member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case on Wednesday.

During proceedings of the case, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted the report on the voter lists in Karachi. The ECP Sindh informed the court that 32,231 voters could not be verified. The lawyer for JI Rasheed A Rzivi said there was a house with 653 registered voters in the city.

The lawyer for MQM Farogh Naseem advised that these anomalies should be referred to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

Chief Justice Chaduhry asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to verify voters in Karachi by conducting a door-to-door check. He added that the army and Rangers could be used to verify voters in Karachi and would be of benefit in maintaining peace in the city.

The lawyer of the MQM said if this was the case then the door to door verification exercise should be conducted across Pakistan. The apex court rejected this proposal by the MQM lawyer and said if a nationwide exercise were to be held elections would not be held even in six years.

The Chief Justice remarked that the Supreme Court had received complaints regarding Karachi.

The Chief Justice also said that according to the constitution electoral lists should be prepared every year. He added that the apex court had received several complaints about the voters' list.

The ECP informed the apex court that the lists were last prepared in 2011.