Returning officers will not go missing on July 25: AJK CEC
July 23, 2021
- AJK CEC says returning officers are required to declare results at polling stations and provide certified copies to the polling agents as well.
- AJK CEC member Farhat Ali Mir says security arrangements for the July 25 polls are complete.
- AJK EC says 829 polling stations have been declared sensitive.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Abdul Rashid Sulehria on Friday assured everyone that returning officers (ROs) would not go missing during July 25 polls for the region’s legislative assembly.
The AJK CEC, in a conversation with Geo News, said that under the new law, the returning officers are required to declare the results at the polling stations and provide certified copies to the polling agents as well.
He added that the ROs would have to send a copy of the results on WhatsApp as well.
Sulehria also said that the army, rangers and FC personnel have been tasked to ensure that the ROs and the ballot boxes return safely.
‘Security arrangements complete’
On the other hand, AJK Election Commission’s member Farhat Ali Mir in a press conference said that the security arrangements for the July 25 polls have been completed.
The AJK election commission official said that more than 3.2 million voters will exercise their right to franchise in the upcoming polls. He added that out of those more than 1.7 million are male and more than 1.4 million are female.
“[Close to] 829 polling stations have been declared sensitive in the AJK elections,” said Mir. He also assured everyone that there will be uniform security in all polling stations.
Mir said that Kashmiris in the four provinces of Pakistan have also been given the right to vote in 12 seats. He added that Kashmiri muhajireen have the complete right to take part in the AJK polls.
“The 12 constituencies are as important as the constituencies in AJK,” said Mir. To highlight the importance, he pointed out that polling stations have been set up in Pakistan even where there are only one or two votes.
The member of the AJK election commission thanked the ECP for appointing its officers in the 12 constituencies for the polls.
